The so-called Grand Motets by Mondonville
are indeed very grand affairs. Around nine of the seventeen he
wrote between 1734 and 1758 survive, and the two on this re-issued
Erato disc are probably the most popular, though none can claim
to be exactly staple repertoire. This is a shame, as they contain
some glorious music, richly varied in mood and texture, inventive
in vocal and instrumental resourcefulness and at their best truly
inspired.
Mondonville’s chief champions of recent years
have been Marc Minkowski and William Christie; indeed, Christie’s
Gramophone award winning Erato disc of 1997 contained at least
one of these motets, Dominus Regnavit, the setting of parts
of Psalm 92. Having only access to extracts of the Christie disc,
it was still possible to make comparisons, and though these older
Apex performances are lacking in some areas, there is much to
commend them. Rhythms are crisply sprung, and there is a generally
lively feel to this music making. It’s true that Christie tends
to find a shade more drama in the darker moments, such as the
Parata sedes setting for two sopranos and two oboes. Paillard
is by no means outclassed though, and the beautifully paced opening
to the magnificent Venite Exultemus feels just right to
me, not too slow and with a steady growth in tension and drama.
Christies’s version is, of course, at a lower pitch and with the
period instruments of Les Arts Florissants, whereas Paillard uses
modern instruments and pitch. He encourages sparing use of vibrato,
however, and there is a general lightness of touch to the wind
and string playing that is very appealing. The higher pitch does
lead to some strain for the soloists, especially the tenor, and
at least one of the sopranos is a little course under pressure,
but the choral contribution is first-rate, and there is a very
satisfying impetus in the various fugal passages. These performances
may sound a touch old fashioned to some early music specialists,
and I suppose Christie does ultimately find more light and shade
overall, but the whole thing is very musical and there is much
to enjoy here.
The Corrette coupling is a slightly older source
(1976) but still eminently serviceable. The setting is much less
dramatic or flamboyant than the Mondonville, but there is pleasure
in hearing the contemporary French craze for all things Vivaldi,
as Corrette bases most of the melodic material on ‘Spring’
from The Four Seasons. This cleverly permeates much of
the piece and is altered and varied within the texture quite ingeniously.
The performance is a little stodgy, and I can imagine Christie
or Minkowski managing to wring greater variety out of the material,
but there is plenty to enjoy.
The recordings are showing their age a bit, with
slightly congested climaxes and some peaking on the piercing higher
notes of the choir and soloists. There are no texts either, which
is a pity as other Apex issues have provided them. But this is
super-budget territory, and if you fancy dipping your toe into
the glories of French Baroque choral music, this is a good place
to start.
Tony Haywood