Les Nations

Different countries, different customs. This adage also applies to the music of the Baroque period. Italy, France, Germany – each of these musical nations has its own preferences and idiosyncrasies. Fortunately, practice has shown that music is a permeable, and indeed multicultural, artistic product. Handel is not the only example of this. In 1726, the French composer François Couperin published a collection of chamber music entitled “Les Nations”. International stylistic diversity is a hallmark of this work.

The ensemble freymut is just as diverse and international. The members of the quartet hail from Austria, Taiwan and Korea. The four have chosen “La Françoise” from Couperin’s Nations cycle. Contrary to what the title suggests, the piece begins with a trio sonata in the Italian style. Only then does the typically French suite follow.