These grand motets are both late works, written
between 1688 and 1699 and 1702. The earlier of the two, Motet
pour une Longue Offrande H434, was written for an annual
meeting of the Parlement and embodied the savoury
moral that judgement rests with God. The characteristic Charpentier
traits of almost visual-theatrical drama are here, though
perhaps to a lesser degree than before. Fortunately Neal
Davis is the quintessence of sonorousness in his role, singing Paravit
Dominus in judicio with sweep and clarity. The choir
also sings with considerable vivacity and engagement though
it’s noticeable that individual strands do obtrude from time
to time. It’s certainly not the neatest or most tightly drilled
performance on disc from them.
Compensation comes from the eloquent winds of Les Arts
Florissants, always one of this band’s strongest features,
and from the solo singing. Davis we’ve already mentioned
but the duet between Ana Quintans and Maud Gnidzaz is also
worthy of note and admiration for its pliancy and plangency.
Note too the characteristically high tenor – a somewhat loose
translation into English – in the Trio finale.
Juducium Salomonis is the bigger work and the
ostensible disc favourite – see
the booklet cover which features a detail from a painting
by Guido Reni, though it happens to be his c1606/07 Martyrdom
of St Catherine of Alexandria. Here the band scores by
virtue of its powerful accents and rhythmic charge in Part
One and in the sheer expressive warmth of the opening simphonie of
Part Two. Paul Agnew, a regular in this kind of French repertoire
no less than in, say, Dowland proves eloquence itself in
his recitatives and pronouncements. Note in particular how
malleable, how potently gentle, and how supple he is in the
First Part’s recitative Benedictus es Domine Deus Israel. And
the special intimacy of Et facto mane is conveyed
with real conviction. Still, there again, the chorus rather
lets things down in Et facto – though I should add
that this is only a marginal matter and won’t necessarily
spoil ones enjoyment of these otherwise warmly sung and played
motets.
The recording is a touch on the chilly side. The Latin
texts are translated into French, English and German.
Jonathan Woolf
see also
review by Glyn Pursglove
Ann Quintans
(soprano); Maud Gnidzaz (soprano); Marc Molomot (tenor),
Leif Aruhn-Solén
(tenor); Paul Agnew (tenor); Carl Ghazarossian (tenor); Marc Mauillon (baritone);
Neal Davies (bass); João Fernandes (bass); 
