Jean-Fery Rebel: La Terpsichore – Apotheosis of Baroque Dance

When prima ballerina Marie Sallé lifted the hem of her antique gown in Paris, contemporaries held their breath. Even Terpsichore, the muse of dance, could not have moved more gracefully. It took the goddess only eight minutes to perform all the dance characters in a single piece – thanks to the enchanting music of Jean-Féry Rebel. Telemann had to make do in Hamburg entirely without the beautiful legs of Sallé. Nevertheless, enchanting dances fell into his lap – as table music for well-heeled councilmen, not as amuse gueule for the palates of the gallants of Paris. (From the program booklet of the Styriarte 2018)

On his new album, Jordi Savall invokes none other than Terpsichore, one of the nine muses. Vibrant and colorful compositions by Telemann and Rebel allow the listener to experience the apotheosis of dance at a time when the Baroque repertoire had reached its highest level of sophistication.