Nicknamed “The Paganini of piccolo” by his teacher Jean-Pierre Rampal, Jean-Louis Beaumadier is now renowned as one of the best piccolo players in the world. During his years-long journey to promote his instrument as a solo instrument, he has developed the piccolo repertoire, asking composers for new works (his recording collection World Piccolo) as well as playing older works, like the ones presented on this release. In this quite rarely performed 19th century repertoire, Jean-Louis Beaumadier and his partners express naturally the virtuosity, sincerity, humor, and sense of color that these fantasies and opera themes, so seducing and delightful, require. These pieces introduce the listener to a musical atmosphere quite far from the usual cliché of the European post-romantic mood, showing the diversity of musical tendencies at that time.