Recorded live at an amphitheater in June 1990, Philharmonie's debut album captures what must have been a magical evening of outdoor music on the Côte d'Azur. Philharmonie was the brainchild of guitarist Frédéric L’Épée, who was also in the progressive rock band Shylock in the late '70s. Philharmonie would evolve from an electric guitar trio on this album to a more conventional four piece rock band with a drummer and Chapman Stick player. If that instrument reminds you of '80s King Crimson, then it's worth noting that King Crimson and its legendary guitarist Robert Fripp have exerted a strong influence on much of L’Épée's work. It is extremely unfair, however, to write Philharmonie off as merely a French clone of Discipline-era King Crimson, and perhaps nowhere in Philharmonie's catalog of five albums is the King Crimson influence less distinct than it is on Beausoleil. Beausoleil is less loud, less aggressive and less complex for the sake of complexity than most of the band's subsequent albums. Perhaps due to the lack of a rhythm section on this recording, this is the band's most free flowing and emotional work. While all of Philharmonie's albums are excellent, later albums would become increasingly focused on complex instrumental interplay at the expense of emotional engagement. The interlocking staccato guitar melodies that would become a hallmark of the band's sound mingle more effortlessly here with atmosphere, introspection, and occasionally, bursts of emotion in the form of plaintive solos and delicate, elegiac arpeggios. Highlights are the sparkling, almost ecstatic "Les Oiseaux Rapides" the urgent "Sentinelles du Désert," and the nostalgic "L'Eternel Murmure," but the entire album flows effortlessly from once piece to another. It's one of those albums that is best appreciated as a whole rather than as individual pieces. With very little crowd noise and an airy, open ambiance that perfectly suits the contemplative nature of many of the pieces on the album, this becomes a very special album for those willing and able to unpackage the many charms hidden within.At the time of this writing, all of Philharmonie's albums appear to be out of print on physical media except for Nord. Unfortunately, Beausoleil is almost completely unobtainable, as it was apparently a rather limited private release. Maybe someday it will see the reissue it deserves, but until you are able to find your own copy, perhaps try to hunt down the band's next album, Les Éléphants Carillonneurs. It is the closest in spirit to Beausoleil, and probably the band's very best work.