The ‘divertissement’ Psiché, a ten-movement suite for violin and basso continuo by Michele Mascitti (1663/4–1760), the Neapolitan violinist who did more than anyone else to acclimatize the Italian sonata to a French setting, is unique among his works in having a programmatic basis. It depicts episodes from the famous romantic story of Psyche and Cupid as related in the Latin novel generally known by the name The Golden Ass by the second-century author Apuleius. At the same time, this is Mascitti...