Dornel: Livre De Simphonies Contenant 6 Suittes En Trio / Musica Barocca

Regular price $9.99
Label
Naxos
Release Date
July 29, 2008
Format
Added to Cart! View cart or continue shopping.


    Featuring
    • COMPOSER
      DORNEL, LOUIS-ANTOINE
    • PERFORMER
      Musica Barocca
    Product Details
    Works
    1. I. Prelude

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    2. II. Allemande

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    3. III. Sarabande

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    4. IV. Gigue

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    5. V. Menuet - Menuet en Rondeau

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    6. VI. Passacaille

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    7. I. Prelude

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    8. II. Allemande

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    9. III. Rondeau

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    10. IV. Sarabande

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    11. V. Fantaisie

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    12. VI. Chaconne

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    13. VII. Rigodons I and II

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    14. I. Ouverture

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    15. II. Sarabande

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    16. III. Gavotte

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    17. IV. Chaconne

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    18. V. Rigodons I and II

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    19. I. Overture

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    20. II. Air tendre

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    21. III. Rondeau

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    22. IV. Air en loure

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    23. V. Caprice

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    24. VI. Gigue

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    25. I. Ouverture

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    26. II. Air Grave

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    27. III. Rondeau - Autre Rondeau

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    28. IV. Plainte

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    29. V. Gigue

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    30. I. Prelude

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    31. II. Allemande

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    32. III. Ritournelle

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    33. IV. Rondeau

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    34. V. Menuet

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca

    35. VI. Chaconne

      Composer: Louis-Antoine Dornel

      Ensemble: Musica Barocca




DORNEL Suites, op. 1: No. 1 in a; No. 2 in A; No. 3 in 3; No. 4 in D; No. 5 in G; No. 6 in e Musica Barocca (period instruments) NAXOS 8.570826 (69:06)


We know very little about the life of Louis-Antoine Dornel, who lived from 1680 until approximately 1756 or 1757 (Naxos’s tray liner gives an incorrect date of 1765 but gets it right in the insert notes). He had appointments as organist at Ste Madeleine-en-la-Cité in Paris and the abbey of Ste Geneviève, as well as music master of the Académie Française, where he was required to write an annual motet for the feast of St Louis. His motets received praise in the Mercure de France , but none of them have survived.


The six works recorded here were published as Dornel’s op. 1, entitled Livre de symphonies contenant six suittes en trio pour les flutes, violins, hautbois, & c. avec Sonate en Quatuor . Each starts with either a prelude or a two-movement overture followed by four, five, or six dance movements. Dornel’s relative obscurity compared with his more-recorded late Baroque contemporaries apparently has nothing to do with his ability as a composer. The music here is inventive and enjoyable. However, I did find it better to listen to these works in a couple of sessions rather than straight through.


Part of the reason for this “ear fatigue” can, I think, be attributed to the interpretation. Musica Barocca’s playing is not at fault; the performances are excellent. But I question the decision to entrust the two solo lines to voice flute, a type of alto recorder. Although the score mentions flutes, violins, or oboes, there is, of course, no reason why interpreters cannot choose other solo instruments. But I found the voice flute to be a bit overwhelming after listening to a couple of these works, and would have welcomed some variety. Also, judging from scores I downloaded from the Internet, it appears that some of these works had to be transposed to be played by the voice flutes; the insert notes make no mention of this fact.


The recording does not include the Sonate en quatuor that was published as part of op. 1; there was not enough room on the disc for it. However, the Sonate can be found on a disc entitled “The Sultan and the Phoenix” on Signum, which includes works by seven other French Baroque composers. This is the first complete recording of the six suittes en trio ; I find only one of the suites available elsewhere on a Glossa recording. The music is worth getting to know, and the recording will provide enjoyment. But there is room for another recording using different solo instruments and with all works recorded in their original keys.


FANFARE: Ron Salemi