This anthology celebrates the life and work of Mabel Dolmetsch (1874–1963) on the fiftieth anniversary of her death. It brings together timeless melodies such as Belle qui tiens ma vie and Heartsease, sixteenth-century dances from the Medici Manuscript in the Dolmetsch Library, and examples from the French viol repertoire, including Récit de la viole seule et Sarabande from the Sonate for eight instruments by Marc-Antoine Charpentier and pieces by Sainte-Colombe, Jean-Baptiste Forqueray and Marin Marais. The harpsichord realizations are by Arnold and Jeanne Dolmetsch, and, for the two pieces by Charpentier, by Julie Anne Sadie. The eloquent Adagio from J. S. Bach’s Sonata no. 3 in G minor, BWV 1029, brings the collection to a close.

The edition includes a guide to the language of French ornamentation.

“This pleasing volume is very well produced, as we have come to expect from this publisher, and includes as a Foreword ‘A Guide to the Performance of French Music’. This is a very helpful introduction to the signs employed in the music, and it provides a clear description of how to execute the ornaments required in the performance of French music.”

(The Consort)