Description

The Beatles songs on this “Best of” compilation are from the three Beatles Baroque CDs by Les Boréades. Eric Milnes made the arrangements and directed the ensemble. Released between 2000 and 2006, these three CDs have been among ATMA Classique’s best sellers, both in Canada and internationally.

Surprising though it may seem, it was during a session in which the Boréades were recording 17th-century Italian music that the idea that became the Beatles Baroque was born. The atmosphere in the studio became somewhat giddy, and we were turning everything we had to record—a melodic turn of phrase here, a harmonic sequence there—into improvisations on Beatles’songs. In short, it became impossible to finish the recording. “Let’s be serious,”I said, not very seriously. “We’ll record the Beatles later on…”And they held me to my word! Eric Milnes, a wholehearted fan of the Fab Four, got down to the task of conceiving and transcribing the songs of the Beatles for an ensemble of Baroque instruments. This led to the production of the three CDs in the delightful Beatles Baroques series. I am now happy to present to you The Best of Beatles Baroque.Both in Canada and abroad, critics and the public have been unanimous in hailing the Montreal-based ensemble Les Boréades for its energy and spontaneity, and for the theatricality, expressiveness, and elegance of its music-making. Founded in 1991 by recorder- and flute-player Francis Colpron, Les Boréades is made up of instrumentalists who specialize in performing early music.

Johanne Goyette
Producer