This is Volume 2 in a series exploring the French air de cour, secular songs of the very early Baroque concerned for the most part with the most important things in life – love, and drinking. Les Arts Florissants and William Christie are joined by five singers. In performance, this was apparently semi-staged. In an idea not too far off from that of the jukebox musical, Christie and co pulled these songs into a dramatic narrative following the central theme of “love triumphs over all”. It’s a nice idea, though a little wasted when there’s no summary of what sorts of twists and turns the newly-created narrative took other than the lyrics. What did
the singers do onstage to outline the plot? Not a clue.