William Christie triumphs; nobody does French Baroque with an Italian accent better and with his ensemble Les Arts Florissants, he has made some of the finest recordings of French baroque music, including these French cantatas by André Campra (1660-1744). Campra is usually regarded as the most important French composer between Lully and Rameau and a transitional figure in French opera. Curiously, many of the musicans of Les Arts Florissants back in 1986 were American or British: violinist John Holloway, flautist Robert Claire, theorbist Stephen Stubbs, and the superlative American soprano Jill Feldman. However, to hear quintessential French vocal technique, listen to Dominique Visse singing the cantata La Dispute de l'Amour et de l'Hymen. Jean-François Gardeil, the baritone on this CD, also contributes a pure French inflection to the performance.

Recorded: 1986 in Arles