The sound, airily breathy with the flute, becomes much earthier with the nicely growly cello in the first of the Boismortier pieces. Guillemain, for his part, expertly captures his two violins weaving their separately intricate parts together, while you might have half a thought that Rebel had found a way to doctor his trio with some unacknowledged touches of brass or even organ.

For the concluding piece, Boismortier returns in more stately or courtly mood. This top grade release from the ABC is one of a series and handsomely packaged. The notes are comprehensive and historically informative, entirely in English, evidently the results of some not inconsiderable research into the subject of chamber music at this period, set off with some attractive photographs. The actual music is finely chosen and sensitively performed.

Only two tracks run beyond four minutes, so the whole CD comes in under 50 minutes, which pass very quickly.Nowadays we seem to feel swindled with anything less than about 65, but people attuned to music of this kind will appreciate the quality of the listening experience they are buying here, rather than simply how long it lasts.