Folies Les Voix Humaines ACD2 2203 Perhaps it is because of the Romantics, and the notion they developed that musical composition was an art rather than a craft, that all of us nowadays share a faintly negative view of “arranging” music - as if a composer's creation is a sacrosanct object that one has no right to alter.   Such a view would no doubt have surprised baroque musicians, in the period when the music on this disc was composed, arranging pieces for a different medium was a common enough practice. The 19th century also invented “instrumentation” and “orchestration,” concepts that had been used for centuries, but had never before been codified or set into a system that precluded the relaxed attitude of earlier times.   As enunciated by Berlioz, “instrumentation” was based on the idea that a musical line should fit the nature of the instrument and vice versa.   This seems reasonable, but in the baroque period, musicians had a somewhat different approach.   For them, the instrument was of secondary importance to the musical idea or inspiration being expressed.   If another instrument could express that same idea while keeping the piece's essence intact, there was in principle no problem with adapting it.   If cleverly done, changing instruments might well reveal new facets of the original idea. … © Bruce Haynes Nicolas Lebègue (v. 1631-1702)   1. Les Cloches (arrangement : Susie Napper)     4:02 Marin Marais (1656-1728)   2. Les Voix Humaines (arrangement: Susie Napper; dédié à Pepper)     4:08 François Couperin (1668-1733)   3. Le Dodo ou L'amour au Berceau (pièce-croisée)     3:45   4. Muséte de Choisi et Muséte de Tàverni     3:39 Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) Pièçes de clavecin en concert (arrangement : Susie Napper; dédié à Gustav Leonhardt)   5. La Coulicam     4:22   6. La Livri     3:55   7. La Vézinet     2:32 François Couperin   8. Le Trophée     2:37   9. Airs pour la suite du Trophée     3:26 10. Le point du jour (allemande)     3:06 11. L'Anguille (arrangement : Margaret Little)     3:18 Marin Marais 12. La Muzette (arrangement : Margarel Little)     4:13 13. Les Folies d'Espagne (arrangement : Susie Napper)     17:25 ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879