Jacques Hotteterre’s suites form the focus of the last volume in our complete edition of his chamber music. The Italian idiom, Hotteterre’s affinity for Italy...

Jacques Hotteterre’s suites form the focus of the last volume in our complete edition of his chamber music. The Italian idiom, Hotteterre’s affinity for Italy and its music, distinguish the structure of his works, and this proximity to the goût italien can also be heard in the four Suites op. 5. Hotteterre modified the French suite type consisting of many pieces in the same key and replaced it with a model practically verging on the sonata form. L’art de préluder, a course offering instruction in the so very important capabilities necessary for improvisation, is another highly interesting work by Hotteterre. Here the composer writes short preludes that could be used to introduce suite cycles in the corresponding keys and were supposed to school and inspire the musician’s own gifts of invention. In his pieces from the valuable volume entitled Airs Ornez d’Agremens Hotteterre arranges familiar melodies of French provenance for two or three flutes and writes Doubles for flute solo. These greatly embellished variations are unrivaled in their marvelous display of the ornamental improvisational style of French flute artistry.