The accession to the Prussian throne of the determinedly individual Frederick II in 1740 was the beginning of a musical heyday, from court functions in Berlin to the king’s private Potsdam getaway at his palace of Sans Souci. Not only was he a thoroughly musical monarch who played and composed a bit on the side, he soon attracted (or compelled) some of Europe’s finest composers and players to grace his halls.

While many of these famous names were among the 18th-century’s bigger beasts – men like CPE Bach, for example – for this lively program of harpsichord concertos, Philippe Grisvard and Ensemble Diderot have chosen a handful of pretty much unknown works – all of them world premieres – by lesser-known composers. Not only is it a delightful collection, it shows the depth of talent the Prussian court could call upon.

The album leaps into life with a concerto by Christoph Nichelmann (1717-1762) who had trained at the Thomasschule in Leipzig where he regularly sang soprano in Bach’s cantatas. It’s a darkly dramatic work in D minor full of memorable gesture and given a fiery reading by...