This programme features selections from two recently released CDs of chamber music by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier was one of the most prolific and versatile composers in France during the first half of the eighteenth century. By writing music that was pleasing to the ear and relatively easy to perform, he was able to earn a good living and remain independent throughout his life. At a time when almost every composer was employed by a court, a city or a church, he was something of an exception. This earned him considerable criticism, as his music was regarded as too simple and somewhat superficial. Boismortier paid little attention to such objections. “I make money from it,” was his straightforward response.
He published 101 collections bearing opus numbers. His output also includes several collections without opus numbers, as well as motets and operas. In addition, Boismortier wrote two treatises, one on the traverso and the other on the pardessus de viole, though both have been lost. These works suggest that he was a representative of the Enlightenment, a movement that sought, among other things, to broaden the knowledge of the middle classes. Providing music that amateurs could play with ease was part of this ideal. In this respect, Boismortier might be compared to Georg Philipp Telemann.
Since amateur musicians wanted to play the instruments they had available, the title pages of many printed editions of Boismortier’s music list several possible instruments. This is also the case with his Sonatas, Op. 34: quartets for three transverse flutes, violins or other instruments, accompanied by basso continuo. On the recording by Ensemble Labirinto Armonico, three sonatas are performed on violins and three on a recorder and two violins. Op. 26 comprises five sonatas and a concerto for a bass instrument, with the performer free to choose between viola da gamba, cello and bassoon. Ensemble Labirinto Armonico performs the sonata featured here on viola de gamba.
The traverso appears to have been Boismortier’s favourite instrument. During the first half of the eighteenth century, it also became the most popular instrument among amateur musicians. Boismortier published three collections of sonatas specifically for the traverso: Op. 3 (1724), Op. 19 (1727) and Op. 44 (1733). Together, they reveal a stylistic development from counterpoint toward melody, the defining feature of the galant style, and from a purely French idiom towards a blend of French and Italian influences. The music also becomes more technically demanding, with Boismortier adapting violin techniques for the traverso. Marion Treupel-Franck has selected works from all three collections.
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689–1755)
- Sonata in D major, Op. 34, No. 4
- Sonata in A minor, Op. 34, No. 6
- Sonata in A minor, Op. 26, No. 2
Ensemble Labirinto Armonico
CD: Sonatas Op. 34 – Brilliant Classics 97619 (2025)
- Sonata in E minor, Op. 3, No. 5
- Sonata in B minor, Op. 19, No. 4
- Sonata in G minor, Op. 44, No. 6
Marion Treupel-Franck (traverso), Sergio Azzolini (bassoon), Francesco Galligioni (cello), Diego Cantalupi (theorbo)
CD: La poésie du son – Flute Music by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier – Solo Musica SM567 (2026)
Additional track
- From Sonata in B minor, Op. 44, No. 2: Aria (affettuoso)
Marion Treupel-Franck (traverso), Francesco Galligioni (cello), Diego Cantalupi (theorbo)
CD: see tracks 4–6
Pictured: Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (Wikipedia)
