The not-so-ordinary notebook of J. S. Cousser
17 October
For their 2026 season and as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations, Les Muffatti bring to life an exceptional document: the Commonplace Book of Jean-Sigismond Cousser (1660–1727).
More than just an album, this is a true journey through Baroque Europe. Born in the Kingdom of Hungary, trained in Stuttgart and later with Lully in Versailles, a musical adventurer who tried his luck in London before settling permanently at the Dublin court, Cousser embodies the musical cosmopolitanism of his age.
His personal notebook is a treasure trove: musical notes, reflections, recipes, remedies, and even alchemy. A revealing portrait of both musical and everyday culture at the turn of the 18th century. This manuscript becomes the guiding thread of the programme, illuminating the composer’s multiple influences: from Lully to Purcell, from Steffani to Handel.
Les Muffatti have transformed this material into an unprecedented programme: a sonic mosaic where styles and traditions from across a continent converge. Each work on the disc enters in dialogue with the others, weaving a musical narrative that mirrors Cousser’s own journey—at the crossroads of traditions and resolutely modern.
Programme: Lully, Purcell, Steffani, Handel, Motta, and of course Cousser himself, whose rarely heard works we reveal, such as Apollon Enjoüé and An Idylle on the Peace.
An album-journey that tells the story of a cosmopolitan composer and a musical Europe without borders.
Release: October 17, 2026
