In February 1724 Boismortier obtained a royal privilege permitting him to engrave, publish and sell his works. Printed soon afterwards, the book Cantates françoises (Op 5) contains Les quatre saisons – all four cantatas except one notated for soprano voice. Recorded in the tiny chapel of the Petite Trianon at Versailles, the Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal fields up to five chamber instrumentalists including harpsichordist and director Chloé de Guillebon, who follows modern tradition by assigning each cantata to a different singer.

Le printemps has Sarah Charles and flautist Marta Gawlas making affectionately conversational allusions to the sweet bird Philomel singing, rustic dancing shepherds and shepherdesses, carefree love and bittersweet pangs of longing. Poetic metaphors in L’été portray the scorched earth, lack of breeze and devastation caused by Phaéton’s joyriding of the Sun’s chariot; the soprano part is transferred to tenor Enguerrand de Hys, whose unbridled dynamic range occasionally eclipses the continuo trio. Baritone Marc Mauillon and chirpy flute enact an irreverent paean to Bacchus in L’automne; he praises dancing and grape-induced inebriation (wine is the ‘delicious juice’ that makes life worth living), although the drunken poet briefly confesses that his heart was once broken by a proud beauty (the momentary vulnerability echoed touchingly by violinist Koji Yoda).

L’hyver is performed gorgeously by Lili Aymonino and four-part instruments (a pair of violins, flute and viola da gamba). The suspension-laden B minor opening petitions Zephyrs and the goddess Flora for the return of milder spring days. After a vivid outburst comparing winter’s violin-driven storms to warfare, a sentimental plaint that cruel Jupiter’s thunder destroys mortals has pathos emphasised by an obbligato viola da gamba and flute. In consolation, the appearance of Apollo and the Muses for dances and entertainments (and a feast hosted by Comus) are described by the eyewitness with ever-increasing rapture – and she asserts optimistically that during winter we can savour the fruits of spring (bounteous nature), summer (abundant food) and autumn (booze). Lavish booklet illustrations include François Boucher’s four seasonal rococo paintings (1755) and Julien Dubruque’s enlightening essay that compares Boismortier’s Les quatre saisons to Watteau miniatures.