Johann Jakob Froberger (1616–1667) is an outstanding figure among Baroque keyboard composers. Acclaimed virtuoso and restless traveller, he famously bridged Italian, French and German styles. He was highly innovative in terms of harmonic and structural development, and is credited with the creation of the 'suite', one of the most important genres of later Baroque music.

His most emotional compositions, the laments, are among his most innovative works. 'À la discrétion, sans observer aucune mesure' is the instruction for his lament for Monsieur Blancheroche: the performer is released from the constraints of rhythmical meter to explore the pain of death in his very own way. Louis Couperin (1626–1661), Froberger's friend from Paris, carries this idea of absolute freedom of expressivity to an even greater extreme in his 'imitations' of Froberger's style: his 'unmeasured' preludes positively deny any rhythmical orientation with their complete absence of bar lines or any differentiation of note lengths.

Fernando Miguel Jalôto, based in Portugal, specialises in historical keyboard instruments and the historically informed interpretation of the musical repertoire from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. His programme tonight gives a rare insight into a period of musical history where the strict traditional forms didn't necessarily exclude almost boundless emotional expression: Froberger's and Couperin's roaming meditations on the intimacy and pain of death bring forth an abundance of colour and beauty with stunning harmonic and structural freedom. They bear witness, too, to an intimate musical friendship – one that proved extremely influential for the development of harpsichord music in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Programme:
Johann Jakob Froberger Affligée et Tombeau sur la mort de Monsieur Blancheroche, faite à Paris, lequel se joue fort lentement et à la discrétion sans observer aucune mesure
Louis Couperin Suite in F major, including: Tombeaux de Mr. de Blancrocher
Johann Jakob Froberger Suite in C major, including: Lamentation faite sur la très douloureuse mort de Sa Majesté, Ferdinand le Quatrième, Roi des Romains
Lamentation faite sur la mort très douloureuse de Sa Majesté Impériale, Ferdinand le Troisième, et se joue lentement avec discrétion
Louis Couperin Suite in A minor, including: Prélude à l'imitation de Monsieur Froberger
Johann Jakob Froberger Suite in a minor, including: Plainte faite à Londres pour passer la Mélancolie laquelle se joue lentement et à discrétion
Ricercar VI
Louis Couperin Pavane in F sharp minor
Johann Jakob Froberger Méditation faite sur ma mort future laquelle se joue lentement avec discrétion

Performers:
Fernando Miguel Jalôto harpsichord