A stranger reveals the opulence of the Royal Chapel of Louis XV: Charles-Hubert Gervais was Chapel Master from 1723 onwards, thus offering a perfect representation...

A stranger reveals the opulence of the Royal Chapel of Louis XV: Charles-Hubert Gervais was Chapel Master from 1723 onwards, thus offering a perfect representation of the splendor of sacred music at the Court of Versailles. Heir to the great frescoes of Lully and Lalande, Gervais was above all an opera composer, and his dramatic style lends his Grands Motets a decidedly Italian resonance. With this protégé of the Regent Philippe of Orléans – he remained his favored musician for two decades – the evocative power and pomp of Versailles are given added shine by the galant style. Served like a king by magnificent performers, here is Gervais bathed in the glory of Versailles!