Under the luminescence of sparkling chandeliers, ceilings covered with gold filigree and a profusion of glittering ornaments, eighteenth-century Parisian music rooms provided the perfect backdrop for the luxurious and graceful music of French composers. It was a time when advances in ‘cello technique flourished and virtuosi of the instrument explored dizzying high finger-positions, breathtaking passage work and impressive double stops. The rich sonority of two ‘cellos inspired a wealth of ‘duet’ collections – many of which satisfied the prevailing rage for opera, particularly that of Rameau. From a Paris archive, long forgotten music by leading and obscure composers lay alongside anonymous pieces of extraordinary quality and beauty. Innovations in ‘cello playing and expression coincided with a distinct French style – a musical language so far reaching it influenced Johann Sebastian Bach and his famous suites for solo violoncello.