The musical life that Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), Empress of the French and wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, developed with her family and at court went with the fashion and shaped French musical taste at the time. Joséphine organized weekly concerts in her favourite residence, the Chateau de Malmaison, at which many of the most famous musicians from Paris and Europe performed. Informal musical evenings were also held almost daily. This recording presents excerpts from operas from this period that were arranged for chamber music performances. They express the most passionate emotions and alternate with melancholy romances and instrumental works to recreate the spontaneity of a musical evening in Joséphine's salon. This original project offers music lovers the opportunity to immerse themselves in a musical universe that is largely unknown to today's audiences.

Pierre-Jean Garat: Il etait la!
+Hortense de Beauharnais: L'Hirondelle; Complainte d'Heloise au Paraclet; L'Orage
+Daniel Steibelt: Andante aus der Klaviersonate op. 37 Nr. 1
+Jean-Paul-Egide Martini: Plaisir d'amour
+Giovanni Paisiello: Chi vuol la zingarella aus "Gli Zingari in Fiera"
+Ignaz Pleyel: Allegretto aus dem Duo für Harfe oder Klavier
+Etienne-Nicolas Mehul: J'ai de la raison, j'aime la sagesse aus "L'Irrato, ou l'Emporte"; Allegro aus der Klaviersonate op. 1 Nr. 1
+Charles-Henri Plantade: Romance de Zoe
+Johann Baptist Krumpholtz: Allegretto & Romanze aus der Sonate für Harfe op. 13 Nr. 1; Sonatina für Harfe op. 92 Nr. 2
+Gaspare Spontini: O nume tutelar aus "La Vestale"
+Louis Emmanuel Jadin: La Mort de Werther
+Girolamo Crescentini: Che chiedi, che brami
+Andre Modeste Gretry: Monologue de Mademoiselle de Saint Yves aus "Le Huron"