The artists on this CD consist of cellist Ophélie Gaillard, the chamber orchestra Pulcinella, soprano Sandrine Piau, Rolf Lislevan on solo guitar, David Mayoral on percussion and Maude Gratton on fortepiano. The latter also prepared the da capos and cadenzas for Sandrine Piau. This is an eclectic mix of individuals, who have come together to present us with Luigi Boccherini's music that is influenced by his long years in Spain.

Some consider him one of the greatest composers for the cello, Gaillard being one. She is very persuasive in her playing of this composer's music. Boccherini, born in Lucca, Italy in 1743, died in Madrid in 1805, a pauper. Yet, in his long career he served both as composer at the court of Spain's Infante Don Luis, and Frederic II of Prussia.>

>Gaillard, a Franco-Swiss cellist, has wide tastes. Her playing encompasses the baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary music. She was voted 'Solo instrumental discovery of the year' at the Victoires de la Musique in 2003. It is not difficult to see why because she throws herself into the music and captures the essence of Boccherini in a way I have not heard played for a long time. While she has appeared with major orchestras in Europe and Japan, she is as yet not known in North America. This CD may change that. It is well presented, especially as it is also accompanied by a very fine DVD that shows us the artist and her collaborators at work. Again, this DVD is excellently prepared. One wishes our own artists here had more opportunities of this kind of presentation to bring them to the attention of the general public. A combination of CD and DVD is an excellent way to capture an audience.