The genre evolved from the air de cour, extremely popular in France since the beginning of the seventeenth century. The compositional process, however, remained very similar: to write a short, tender song, dealing with themes of love or nature, which could be sung alone or accompanied by a harmonic instrument. The late seventeenth century also saw the appearance of an instrument that soon became a favourite of composers and amateur musicians: the German flute, now called the traverso or Baroque flute.

In this new programme, Reinoud van Mechelen and A Nocte Temporis are joined by flautist Anna Besson to present an anthology of airs and brunettes ranging from the most touching song to the heartiest drinking song (air à boire).