To illustrate the diversity and richness of the sound of transverse flutes of the baroque era, Frank Theuns has chosen three different instruments, each one adapted to the particular style and tonalities of each of the Venetian works presented here. For the famous concerto La Notte and the Concerto in C minor by Vivaldi, he opts for a copy based on the Turin soprano flute by Palanca from the 1730s; the soprano flute or tierce flute is a flute which sounds a minor third higher than written, so in E flat, which favours tonalities of G minor and C minor (respectively two and three flats to the key, for those readers who remember their conservatory days...). For Galuppi and Vivaldi RV 440, he prefers a copy of a Venetian flute by Castel from the 1740s. Finally, for the Concerto Op. 9 No. 2 by Albinoni, initially written for the oboe, he goes for a French flute in the style of Hotteterre, with a rich and ample sound. Let the listener strain their ears to pick out the differences, often very fine, between one flute and another; this repertoire, written between the 1730s and 1770s, presents Venetian art in all its glory. Theuns is accompanied by the Les Buffardins ensemble, a string quintet which is supplemented by a continuo provided by harpsichord or theorbo. © SM/Qobuz