Pramsohler, violinist and founder of Ensemble Diderot, has given careful thought to the construction and originality of his programmes…In The Paris Album, François Couperin and Jean-Féry Rebel share pride of place…The players follow a manuscript copy by the Dresden violin virtuoso Pisendel and give a supple and authoritative account of its exhilarating concluding fugal Vivement.

One sense a love for the theatrical over the pretty in these musicians, a suspicion confirmed by ‘The Paris Album’, where the composers all seem to be responding as much to French musical drama as to Italian instrumental brio. Ensemble Diderot respond with infectious aplomb…No affected gestures and frilly cuffs here, only the dramatic moment grabbed with both hands.

Clearly a great deal of research and planning has gone into the compilation of both these albums, but Ensemble Diderot’s ebullient approach wears that learning very lightly. Even music that is distinctly subfusc...receives performances that squeeze every last morsel of rhythmic or melodic variety out of their formulaic phrases.