Gilbert Rowland is one of Europe's most senior and accomplished exponents of the harpsichord. Following his critically acclaimed 6-album series of the Harpsichord Suites of Handel for Divine Art, he presents the equally fine but lesser known Suites by Mattheson, writtein in 1714. For this album he moves to the Athene imprint specializing now in baroque music and ''period'' instruments. Mattheson was a prodigious composer, conductor and was a friend of Handel, though the two did come to blows in the midst of an opera performance. His work follows the traditional ''dance suite'' format with small variations and is a fine example of excellent baroque music which was not perhaps promoted enough in its own time and is only now once again being rediscovered and appreciated.