This French violinist, born in Paris in 1689 and some ten years older than Jean-Marie Leclair, like Leclair, considerably developed the technique of the French violin, drawing his inspiration from Italian practice. He was one of the king’s famous Vingt-quatre Violons, and also enjoyed great success as a soloist at the Concert Spirituel. He also gave us concertos for violin and orchestra. He died in Belleville in 1753.

The violin duets contained in this volume, which vary greatly from one piece to the next, are for the most part well-written arrangements (in 2, 3, 4 or 5 movements) of fashionable pieces of the time, using themes from Couperin’s Ondes or Rameau’s Sauvages, for example, and sometimes containing beautiful variations.

The two violin parts are of equal interest, constantly crossing and dialoguing. Pleasant to play and of average level of difficulty, these pieces are of great pedagogical interest, enabling students to familiarise themselves, in a delightful way, with the great repertoire and masters of the early 18th century, and with Baroque ornamentation; they are also an excellent introduction to the French violin repertoire. In concert, they will provide amusing diversions between larger works.

The score comes in a 22x31 cm booklet for use on a music stand. Some of the 3-page suites require preparation of the page-turn or spreading out 3 sheets, but none of these works, between 177 and 254 bars in length, exceeds 5 minutes.