A Sultana’s Garden
La Sultane, a lesser-known work by Couperin for 4 obbligato instruments, is at the centre of this programme, while other masterpieces by Rameau, Rebel and Couperin set the scene. We picture the female sultan surrounded by rich musical flora and fauna, which at times can be taken both literally and metaphorically. L’amphibie from Couperin’s Pièces de Clavecin might have been one of her more fickle friends, or just a frog perching on a water lily… But we also come across an array of flying animals, plants, and the summer wind. Finally, the pleasures of the outdoors are summed up in J.F. Rebel’s collection of dances Les Plaisirs Champêtres.