Les Goûts-Réunis or mixed taste
What today we would call “fusion” the composers of the 18th century referred to as the mixing of Italian and French stylistic elements. Les Goûts-réunis (“mixed tastes”) was the name given by the composer François Couperin to a collection of chamber music works. This mixture of tastes, typical of the time, influenced Handel too: while he initially turned his efforts mainly to Italian opera seria, he nevertheless remained faithful to the French overture for the opening movement. In London he was surrounded by French musicians, who refined his musical tastes. Benjamin Alard and Michael Form invite you to a Franco-German summit meeting to track the omnipresent French influence on the German composer in England.