For most non-specialist
collectors such as myself knowledge
of the music of Charpentier is likely
to be limited to his Messe de minuit
and a handful of other works. This
Hyperion release offers a welcome opportunity
to become acquainted with more examples
of his vocal music.
The performances are
by the Birmingham-based ensemble Ex
Cathedra. This is the third of their
discs to have come my way in a relatively
short time. I recently gave a warm welcome
to their own-label CD of mainly twentieth
century Christmas
music. Subsequently I acquired their
previous Hyperion release, New
World Symphonies, devoted to
baroque music from Latin America. This
latest CD confirms the excellent impression
made by those two earlier issues.
The forces employed
on this disc (not everyone is involved
in every piece) comprise 18 sopranos,
10 altos (male and female), 12 tenors
and 11 basses. The instrumentalists
include up to four organists (one per
choir in the Mass, I assume), four theorbos
(similarly disposed, I suspect) a bass
viol and a great bass viol and, according
to need, a couple of violins and a viola.
Between them Charpentier and Jeffrey
Skidmore conspire to deploy the musicians
to achieve a most stimulating variety
of sonorities.
The most economical
piece in terms of resources is Salut
de la veille des ‘O’. This is a
setting of the seven Magnificat antiphons
for the seven days leading up to Christmas,
known as the "Great O" antiphons.
Here Charpentier adds an additional
antiphon, ‘O salutaris hostia’. This
set of antiphons is thought to have
been composed in the early 1690s and
may well have been written for the Jesuit
church of St. Louis in Paris. If they
were composed for such an institution
that might explain why most of the set
are scored for a small ensemble of no
more than three solo male voices and
continuo. However, how does one account
for the fact that two of the antiphons,
‘O Clavis David’ and ‘O Oriens’ are
scored not only for a larger group of
instruments but also for four part mixed
choir? Unsurprisingly, it is these two
antiphons that offer the richer sonorities.
All of the settings are brief (the longest
lasts 2’35" here) and their relatively
plain, direct musical language is impressive.
One of the antiphons,
‘O Rex gentium’ is set for solo haut-contre.
The soloist, Andrew Tortise, is a member
of the choir, as is the case throughout
the programme. He sings with assured
fluency and an excellent heady tone
that is just right for this style of
music. His contribution typifies the
high quality of the other solo work
on display in this programme.
Le reniement de
St Pierre is quite an unusual piece.
It is a setting of the part of the gospel
narrative that treats of the denial
of Christ by St. Peter. Like the antiphons,
it employs quite modest forces. Six
vocal soloists are used (only three
of whose parts are particularly extensive)
supported by continuo and a few interjections
from the chorus. The setting is taut
and dramatic (there are no arias) and
concentrates on telling the story rather
than commenting on it. The solos are
well projected and Jeffrey Skidmore
paces the music skillfully. In her excellent
notes Shirley Thompson rightly draws
particular attention to the concluding
chorus in which, as she says, "the
vocal lines weave a dense web of counterpoint,
full of suspensions and other expressive
dissonances." This brief chorus
is typical of the compressed, cool but
dramatic nature of the setting.
The other two pieces
make effective use of spatial separation
between groups of singers. The opening
setting of Salve Regina employs
three choirs, the third of which here
comprises three male solo voices. In
the score these are described as ‘exules’
or exiles and the more elaborate nature
of their music suggests that these parts
were intended to be sung by soloists
as is done here. This treatment permits
a most effective contrast with the more
sonorous writing for the two four-part
choirs and I’m sure the correct interpretation
has been put on Charpentier’s intentions
by Jeffrey Skidmore.
The most ambitious
and extensive piece is the Messe
à quatre chœurs. It is thought
that this is an early composition. It
may well date from 1692, just after
Charpentier returned from Italy, where
he had studied with Carissimi. The recording
here captures very well the separation
between the four choirs, an effect splendidly
calculated by Charpentier. It’s a most
impressive and enjoyable piece. The
first ‘Kyrie’ features some sumptuous
choral textures, reminiscent of the
Italian baroque, while a more plangent
note is introduced for the ‘Christe.’
The second ‘Kyrie’ is majestic. An interesting
feature in this movement is the improvised
organ interpolations, expertly realised
by David Ponsford. (Such interpolations
are a feature of the ‘Sanctus’ also.)
The ‘Gloria’ opens
with flamboyant soprano solos, one from
each choir. The remainder of the movement
features a beguiling, ear-catching variety
of sonorities as Charpentier makes adroit
use of the varied forces at his disposal.
This is true also of the ‘Credo’. In
that movement there are some excellent
male solos in the "Crucifixus"
section. Cunningly, Charpentier does
not take the obvious course of bringing
in full forces at "Et resurrexit"
but instead he gradually thickens the
textures, bringing in women’s voices
only at "Et ascendit". This
is but one of many imaginative touches.
Appropriately, textures
are especially rich at the start of
the ‘Sanctus’. Some may be surprised,
as I was, by the unusually sprightly
nature of the brief ‘Agnus Dei’. This
is a dance-like movement with no hint
of a plea for peace. The buoyant
mood is carried over into the setting
of ‘Domine, salvum fac regem’, a prayer
for the preservation of the king that
had become something of a convention
in Mass settings in late seventeenth
century France. This is one of three
additions to the Mass setting in this
performance. The other two are Marian
chants, ‘Assumpta est Maria’, and ‘Ave
maris stella’ that are interpolated
respectively after the ‘Gloria’ and
the ‘Credo’. These are not Gregorian
plainchant settings. They are chants
composed by Guillaume Gabriel Nivers
(c1632-1714) of a type known as plainchant
musical. As is explained in the
notes, this is a style developed in
seventeenth century France that was
characterised by simple, mainly syllabic
melodies. For my taste it’s not as timeless
and atmospheric as traditional plainchant
but its inclusion here is interesting
and gives a suitable period feel.
In fact the use of
this chant is symptomatic of the care
that has been taken with these recordings.
The singers all sing with what I take
to be Gallic pronunciation of the Latin
in period style. This pronunciation,
though audible, does not attract attention
for its own sake. The instrumentalists
play, I assume, on period instruments
(or copies) and it is clear that a great
deal of effort has been taken to get
authentic musical texts and to absorb
proper period performance practice.
It is evident that the performances
have been scrupulously prepared yet
at no time do they sound studied in
any way. On the contrary, enthusiasm
and vivid communication are the order
of the day, just as was the case with
their New World Symphonies disc.
To add to the listener’s
pleasure the recorded sound is excellent,
with the spatial effects tellingly but
naturally achieved. The notes are excellent
and are provided in English, French
and German, as are the translations
of the Latin texts.
An outstanding disc
in every way, which I recommend with
enthusiasm.
John Quinn