Vinyl · 2 discs
CD · 1 disc
This much-admired disc of French sacred music from the seventeen and twentieth centuries, beautifully performed by the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge under George Guest, is now available at chandos Classics price for the first time. These performances were well received on their initial release, with reviews such as 'The choir's silk-sheen sound brings Poulenc motets to perfection' (South Wales Argus) and 'This is another quality disc from Chandos which offers beautiful performances of these attractive French choral works' (Canberra Times). The recording is sure to be welcomed at the new, lower, Classics price.
CD · 2 discs
This is a baroque dream: a performance of the sacred drama David and Jonathas, a masterpiece by Charpentier and one of the miracles of French opera, in the Royal Chapel of Versailles! In 1688, the Louis-le-Grand Jesuit school performed this vibrant version of the fateful, fusional love between David and Jonathas… and the inevitable confrontation between their armies. Their deep friendship – biblical love – leads to the death of Jonathas in the arms of the victorious David. The intense emotion exuded by this piece is amplified by the staging, sets and costumes, under the stirring direction of Gaétan Jarry: a sumptuous, dazzling baroque vision.
Purcell’s genius abounds in this, the fourth volume in The Sixteen’s series devoted to the composer. Henry Purcell grew from young childhood to established professional adulthood in the service of Charles II. He identified strongly with the court, but he was well aware of Charles’s unreliability as a patron. Wisely, Purcell made an early decision to diversify, flaunting his court connections while building up the largest possible client base beyond the court. This programme shows that strategy in action and celebrates a diversity of writing for both professional Court musicians as well as amateur enthusiasts. “Christophers creates a vivid sense of celebration and occasion, conjuring blustering trumpet fanfares and drum-rolls from his ensemble.” (Gramophone)
The year 2022 marks the 400th Anniversary of the birth of one of French literature’s greatest geniuses: Molière.
His admirers thought they knew everything about his art, but they long remained deaf to an essential element in his output: the music.
In 1990, William Christie finally provided the opportunity to discover this domain, with Marc- Antoine Charpentier’s settings giving new depth to and shedding new light on the well-known text of Le Malade imaginaire.
This major recording opened up unexpected perspectives on an unjustly forgotten heritage. Experience it anew on this reissued double-album edition!
Signum Records prsents a new recording by Charivari Agréable. This CD explores instrumental music for the cornett from 16th century Italy. The cornett's appeal, according to Girolamo Dall Casa (1584), lies in its tonal similarity to the human voice. As such it was an instrument particuarly suited to supporting a choir, or to double a voice. Charivari Agréable explore the pairing of the cornett (a wind instrument) and strings, in various configurations through the imaginative performance practice first suggested by Bernandino Borlasca in 1616, Venice. By the end of the 16th century, the solistic use of the cornett was approaching its demise, however, Charivari's response has been to expand its repertory by discovering rarely heard works for the cornett which have surfaced from libraries baring a later date. Another response has been to revel in the creative historical performance practice of pastiche - by adapting and arranging the music of Siecento, Italy, with adventure and innovation. This creative process has benefited from an intimate knowledge of the compositional practice of the period, while allowing the group to share the essence of their ensemble philosophy.
Unfortunately we know absolutely nothing about the life of Charles Dollé. Not even his approximate birth and death dates are known. From his six collections of instrumental works published between 1737 and 1754 we can logically infer that he was a Frenchman, a viola da gamba virtuoso, and a composer. The chronic dearth of further information about this musicians is evidently the reason why music historians have either completely passed him by or relegated him to mere footnote, in the shadow of his contemporaries Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray who are generally regarded as representing the best and technically most difficult works for viola da gamba. Petr Wagner get Dollé's music out of his undeserved shadowy existence.
