Suite No. 1 in G minor
Suite No. 2 in A major
Suite No. 3 in C minor
Suite No. 4 in D major
Suite No. 5 in F major
Suite No. 6 in E-flat major

Before we proceed to the actual review, we should attempt to clear up a bit of irritating confusion surrounding this composer. Belgian-born composer (also considered Flemish - the language spoken in Northern Belgium), Jean Baptiste Loeillet (1680-1730), a.k.a. John Loeillet of London, was a talented musician and teacher proficient on the harpsichord, flute, recorder and oboe. Despite being born in Ghent, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, he was often given the sobriquet of John Loeillet of London so as not to confuse him with his composer cousin Jean Baptiste Loeillet of Ghent (1688-1720). And not to add to the confusion, but during his stay in London he was often ascribed the name of Jean Baptiste Lully, the French composer who died when Loeillet was only seven years old. Clear as mud, right?

Notwithstanding, his music should appeal to any and all 18th century keyboard music enthusiasts. Aside from a few individual pieces intermingled within various recordings of baroque music collections, not much is readily available, which adds value to this 2-Disc set devoted strictly to Loeillet.

Loeillet was a highly respected teacher and these sets of harpsichord pieces were composed and used primarily as an educational tool. Written in the French style popular at the time, they are richly ornamented. The title page reads as follows: Six Suits of lessons for the Harpsicord or Spinnet in most of the Key's with Variety of Passages and Variations Throughout the Work. Though lacking in contrapuntal complexities, they make up for that with compelling melodies meant to enhance the performer's phrasing and articulation.

Polish artist Maria Banaszkiewicz-Bryla, Head of the Faculty of Historical Instruments and Chair of Historical Performance Practice, plays Loeillet's music witn an ear for detail and utmost clarity. A clarity enhanced by the quality of this audiophile recording, during which the signal trajectory is as short as possible so that distortion caused by equipment is minimalized. The booklet notes go on to explain: "The label aims to capture the instrument's natural sound characteristics and the room's acoustics in response to music lovers' expectations concerning audiophile recording quality."

The independent Polish label Prelude Classics may very well have a limited number of releases, but that's because they fuss over details. In this day and age of instantaneous mp3 file streams and downloads, it's reassuring to know that some label executives still care enough about music to put the time and energy required into a recording project in order to better refine the end product.