M-A Charpentier - Instrumental Works
£14.49
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Label: Ricercar
Cat No: RIC338
Format: CD
Number of Discs: 1
Release Date: 25th November 2013
Contents
Works
Noels (3) pour les instruments, H531Noels (6) sur les instruments, H534
Sonate a huit, H548
Suite pour un reposoir, H508
A la venue de Noel
Chantons je vous en prie
Joseph est bien marie
Une jeune pucelle
Artists
Les DominosLes Agremens
Conductor
Florence MalgoireWorks
Noels (3) pour les instruments, H531Noels (6) sur les instruments, H534
Sonate a huit, H548
Suite pour un reposoir, H508
A la venue de Noel
Chantons je vous en prie
Joseph est bien marie
Une jeune pucelle
Artists
Les DominosLes Agremens
Conductor
Florence MalgoireAbout
The instrumental works of Marc-Antoine Charpentier are familiar to very few people. A large number of them were composed for use in churches, the most famous of these being the 'Messe pour plusieurs instruments au lieu des orgues' that has already been recorded by Jean Tubéry and La Fenice for Ricercar (RIC 245).
Charpentier composed the Sonate à huit around 1685, at a time when various private musical societies were exploring the Italian sonata style. Charpentier discovered this style at the same time as François Couperin, who also set about composing sonatas in the Italian style. Couperin’s sonatas were recorded splendidly in 2012 by Les Dominos for Ricercar (RIC330), a recording that was praised highly by the musical press, being awarded 5 Diapasons and an FFFF by Telerama.
Charpentier’s Sonate à huit blends the Italian style with the French suite of dances and as such is one of the masterpieces of instrumental music of the French baroque.
Pour un Reposoir was intended to accompany an outdoor procession, an organ naturally not being available. The greater part of the CD, however, is taken up by the Noëls pour les Instruments which Charpentier set for instrumental ensemble and organ. Our interpretation of this work is based on the original manuscript and respects the marked instrumentation as well as Charpentier’s own specifications for organ registrations.
We have also recorded the original versions of the relevant Christmas carols, complete with their many verses as they appeared in French collections published at the beginning of the 18th century. This recording of Christmas music can be enjoyed throughout the year!
Sound/Video
Paused
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1Symphonies pour un reposoir - Ouverture
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2Symphonies pour un reposoir - Fugue
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3Symphonies pour un reposoir - Allemande
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43 Noels - Laissez paitre vos betes
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5A la venue de Noel (sung)
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6A la venue de Noel (instrumental)
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7Une jeune pucelle (sung)
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8Une jeune pucelle (instrumental)
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9Joseph est bien marie (sung)
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10Joseph est bien marie (instrumental)
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11Sonate H548a - Grave
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12Sonate H548a - Gavotte
Europadisc Review
All the works are lovingly and characterfully performed here by the French ensemble Les Dominos under the direction of violinist Florence Malgoire, with the Belgian ensemble Les Agrémens and soloists from the Namur Chamber Choir joining them in the Symphonies and Noëls.
The Symphonies pour un reposoir start with short but imposing Ouverture in the Lullyian manner. Two movements, the first languorous, the second a fugue, respectively precede the two verses of Tantum ergo, sung in plainchant. An instrumental Amen substitute is followed by a concluding Allemande. The continuo group throughout the Symphonies includes not only theorbo and harpsichord but also a serpent, which lends a wonderfully pungent quality to the sound.
In the Noëls sur les Instruments we enter a more pastoral world, with a pair of transverse flutes joining the string ensemble. Here, the Christmas flavour is considerably enhanced by having several of the traditional carols themselves sung by light women’s voices, and accompaniment from the Le Picard organ (1753) of the Basilica of Our Lady, Tongeren. This splendid instrument features some truly marvellous stops, including a nightingale and a bass drum! By singing all the verses in the carols (often with tutti/solo contrasts), plenty of opportunities are given to organist Freddy Eichenberger to show off the various combinations and effects. The Noëls themselves are enchantingly done, poised yet buoyant, the tone sweet and expressive but never cloying, with nicely deployed repeats affording solo/tutti contrasts. The well-known Une jeune pucelle receives a beautifully sostenuto performance, Joseph est bien marié is taken at a lively tempo with the organ’s cornet stop adding a biting edge, and in Où s’en vont ces gais bergers the pastoral flutes (Serge Saitta and Amélie Michel) are joined at points by a twittering nightingale and rustic drum from the organ.
Finally comes the Sonate à huit, with special honours going to soloists Guido Balestracci (bass viol) and Isabelle Saint-Yves (five-string bass violin). After the indulgently affective opening Grave, Récits for bass viol and bass violin respectively precede a soloistic Sarabande and Bourrée. A final sequence of Gavotte, Gigue (with nimble solo violin), Passacaille (a reflective flute solo) and lively Chaconne for full ensemble rounds off the proceedings in style.
With exemplary recordings and fine presentation, this is a timely seasonal release which isn’t just for Christmas!
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