Montéclair: Trios for Two Treble Instruments and Continuo

This volume presents an edition of trios from a print assembled by French composer and violinist Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (1667–1737), the 1er Recueil contenant XXIV des plus beaux duo de l’Abé Stefani, de Bononcini et d’autres bons auteurs (Paris: Boivin, [1725]). The print has been in the Bibliothèque nationale de France since the eighteenth century, but its connection to Montéclair was only rediscovered during research for the editor’s book on the composer. The print’s three partbooks include a heretofore unknown trio sonata by Montéclair for two flutes and continuo as well as his arrangements of Italian vocal duets and arias, many collected during his sojourn in Milan (1699–1700). This edition thus not only presents interesting new pieces for performance and expands our knowledge of Montéclair’s oeuvre but also contributes to a deeper understanding of the transmission of Italian music to France during this critical time in the history of French music.