MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER Missa Assumpta est Maria
Le Concert Spirituel Hervé Niquet
GCD 921617
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Performing artists
Chantal Santon-Jeffery, dessus Hanna Bayodi-Hirt, dessus François-Nicolas Geslot, haute-contre Romain Champion, taille Benoît Arnould, basse
Production details
Total playing time 60:34 Recorded at IRCAM, Paris, in July 2008 Engineered and mastered by Manuel Mohino Produced by Dominique Daigremont Executive producer: Carlos Céster Design: Valentín Iglesias (00:03:00) Booklet essay: Fannie Vernaz English Français Español Deutsch
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MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER (1643-1704)
Missa Assumpta est Maria [H.11]
1-6 Kyrie 7-11 Gloria 12 Motet à voix seule [H.361] 13-21 Credo 22-24 Pour un reposoir [H.508] 25-26 Sanctus 27 O salutaris Hostia [H.262] 28 Benedictus pour l’orgue 29-31 Agnus Dei 32 Domine salvum fac Regem [H.303]33 Domine salvum fac Regem [H.291]
About this CD
Hervé Niquet returns to the sacred music of the French Baroque in the grand manner: the ceremonial masterpiece of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s concertante Missa Assumpta est Maria, written for solo and choral voices with orchestral accompaniment, a clear reflection of the composer’s mature style, written in the last decade of his life. Maturity definitely comes through also in Niquet’s interpretation (and this is his fifth recording of music by Charpentier for Glossa alone): a sureness of touch in this repertoire is underpinned by a painstaking scrutiny of the sources, allowing the French conductor to make some original choices for the interpolations within the Mass Ordinary sections - instrumental and vocal in symphonies and motets. Zest, vigour and lightness of touch remain potent elements of Niquet’s approach for the music of this most spectacular of French composers.
This sense of understanding for the style which will also be applied shortly for the little-known five-voice Requiem of Charpentier’s contemporary, Pierre Bouteiller - but which Niquet describes as “a diamond, an incredible jewel of our culture.” Niquet’s indefatigable approach to the music of the French Baroque and Classical eras extends currently also to the operatic world. After the success of his revival of the 300 year-old opera Sémélé by Marin Marais (one of the top-three nominations in the “First Recording” category of this year’s MIDEM Classical Awards), he and Le Concert Spirituel turn next to André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry ...
Hervé Niquet is far less interested in being known as a Baroque music specialist than for his passionate interest in all of French music, especially its vocal and lyrical compositions and nowadays he is as liable to be found directing a symphony orchestra as his own period instrument ensemble Le Concert Spirituel. It may come, for some, as a surprise to find Niquet teaming up with the Brussels Philharmonic to record Debussy but this future release will mark the inauguration of a new adventure for Niquet and Glossa focusing on the music associated with the Prix de Rome competition which drew in scores of leading French composers all the way from 1803 through 1968. [read more...]
Taking a leading role in the revival of tragédies lyriques (or tragédies en musique), the best of the French Baroque opera tradition, is a long, daunting (and expensive) challenge but one which Hervé Niquet has been keen to accept. Present as a singer in the chorus of Les Arts Florissants in 1987 when William Christie put on Lully’s Atys, Niquet formed his own ensemble, Le Concert Spirituel that same year. Since that time he has balanced his own endeavours to stage (and record) key French tragédies with his other musical interests, which extend from Monteverdi to Purcell and Handel (soon to be reissued – now on SACD – is Niquet’s recording of the Fireworks and Water Music suites) right the way through to later composers such as Schumann, Gounod and d’Indy.[read more...]