The anglophone listener may be deceived by both parts of the "Concertos pour flûte" title of this program of little-known Alessandro Scarlatti chamber music: the music is not for flute (or at least is not played by one), and there aren't any concertos. The recorder was and is known in French as a flûte a bec, whereas the transverse flute would have been known to Scarlatti's associates simply as a traverso. This music might have been intended for either instrument, but it is played here by
Francis Colpron, the Quebecois representative of the new breed of virtuoso recorder players. The genre designations of mid-Baroque instrumental works were likewise imprecise, with the words sonata, concerto, and even sinfonia used for various configurations. The pieces here are all for a small group headed by a recorder; those with the French designation Sonate (Concerto) are for recorder, two violins, and continuo. It might be possible to play these with a small string orchestra instead of a pair of violins, but the chamber settings
Colpron chooses are preferable: the pieces aren't concertos in the Vivaldian sense, with orderly alternations of solo and tutti, but more flexible creations in which the flute has various relationships with the violins. The mood is sprightly and playful, quite unlike Scarlatti's imposing operatic style or his serious sacred music. The composer seems to expand the basic trio sonata texture perfected by Corelli, using the extra instrument to veer off into unexpected paths.
Colpron's performances are impressive. They catch the modest, humorous dimensions of the music; they handle Baroque ornamentation with an alert ease; and they solve the problems of balance, in coordination with the veteran Montreal early music group
Les Boréades. This disc, enjoyable for any listener, marks a step in the continuing evolution of Montreal's early music scene, which is on its way to becoming the equal of any in England or northwestern Europe.