Not even reference books on French Baroque music have much to say about François Chauvon. About all we know of his career is that he was a pupil of Couperin, was at one time a chamber musician in the service of the Régent, and that he had a divertissement performed before Louis XV in 1736. Like his teacher he was interested in reconciling the French and Italian manners in a goût-réüni, an ambition which is reflected in Tibiades, a collection of instrumental dance suites he published in Paris in 1717 and described as being in a ‘new genre’. He also said that they were ‘for flute and oboe with some sonatas for violin’, another bit of sales talk, no doubt, and not backed up by the presence either of any actual ‘sonatas’ or eludicated by the slightest suggestion as to which instruments should play which pieces, all of which are for one melody instrument and continuo.

The musicians on this recording of eight of these suites (making 47 short pieces in all) see this as an opportunity, however, employing various unison and alternatim combinations of oboe, flute, recorder and violin not just from piece to piece but within them as well. The result is a varied palette of colourings as well as a spectrum of tutti-solo contrasts that adds ear-catching depth of perspective. That the violin can also occasionally appear on the bass-line (as in ‘La Samaritaine’) or the continuo instruments be released on to the melody line (bassoon in ‘La Mélancolique’, harpsichord in ‘Le Pièche’) allows even more possibilities. Judging by the performances, it is an approach that also inspires firm characterisation of each piece, a benefit which is here allied to ensemble playing of considerable expertise. In short, this is a disc that brings attractive but essentially simple music bouncing into life.