One of the key recordings ever made of French court music, this seminal recording returns to the catalogue, now with each item and/or movement individually indexed. The offerings encompass both suites and cantatas. The music written both for and around the court life of Versailles (1697-1747) is sophisticated and elegant, taking us from the post-Lully era, to the final examples of great French baroque chamber music that of Leclair. The collection is notable for the pure, unsullied voice of the late Judith Nelson (a long-time collaborator with the Academy of Ancient Music) and cellist Christophe Coin's narration in the slightly grisly account of the description of an operation to remove a gall-stone! The booklet includes the original note, texts and translations of the vocal items and Christopher Hogwood's own written introduction for this reissue.