Unknown Gems Beautifully Recorded
Qwerty | 11/07/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Alexandre Boely (1785-1858) was a French organist, pianist, and composer. Born into a musical family that worked in Paris and Versailles, he apparently never got the classical style out of his blood, even as Romantic music overtook Europe. His comparatively conservative tastes and distain for mainstream trends seems to have hindered his career and and relegated him to obscurity. However, one thing is certain from this recording, the man knew how to write interesting and even stirring chamber music.
This recording features a delicious sampling of Boely's chamber music, including trio, a quartet, a sextet, and three melodies for organ and cello. The Ensemble Baroque de Limoges and Quatuor Mosaiques sparkle and are clearly invigorated by these forgotten gems. The sound quality, as usual from Naive, is warm, close, and alive -- you feel like you are sitting in the room with the musicians. A highly recommended recording."