Couperin - L Apotheose de Lully et de Corelli, Danse le gout theatral – Gardiner

 

 

Modern ensembles have always tended to shy away from the French baroque repertory—Lully, Couperin and Rameau for example—because of its rarified preciosity and the intricacy of the performing lore. Only harpsichordists, privy to French ornamentation practices, have made it their speciality. With familiarity, much of the mystique has now dissolved. But the music remains to a certain extent the provenance of the specialist so that even ensembles known, along with their conductors, for their stylish performances of Italian and German baroque music, stumble when they attempt the French.

The English Baroque Soloists under John Eliot Gardiner offer here orchestrated interpretations of the most extended and quasi-dramatic of Francois Couperin's uniquely conceived chamber music. The pieces within the Apotheose works, descriptively titled and programmatic, lend themselves to varied instrumentation. The Concert "Dans le Gout Theatrical", published in a score of two and three parts, is transcribed here for larger forces by Peter Holman, who puts forward the novel notion—ostensibly because of the length of the work, the exceptional presence of an ouverture and the absence of dances associated with chamber music (allemandes, courantes, etc.)— that it may be a "domestic version" of a hypothetical lost stage work, of which we otherwise have none from Couperin.

CD INFO

Ape, scans

Bach JS - Motets BWV225-231, Cantatas BWV50 & 118 - Gardiner

Bach JS - Motets BWV225-231, Cantatas BWV50 & 118 - Gardiner
Sacred | single flac, cue | no log, cover | 2 CD, 463 MB
April 13, 1993 | Erato | RapidShare

John Eliot Gardiner with his incredible musical ability, has herein brought out some of the best of Bach and in doing so has created for the listener some truly memorable moments!



Taken together these motets and quasi-motets form one of the peaks of Bach's art as a composer of choral music. Through their compression and complexity, they make colossal demands of those who perform them: exceptional virtuosity, stamina and sensitivity to the abrupt changes of mood and texture. They never cease to fascinate on account of their skillful use of fugue, canon and counterpoint. But most of all they can touch the listener as well as the performer, revealing Bach's compassionate nature, his dance-like joy in the praise of God and his total certitude in the contemplation of death.

And what better choir than the Monteverdi Singers to deliver this great music of Bach?! They are truly remarkable on this disc: emotionally inspiring, technically efficient, nigh unto perfect diction and all with that wonderfully buoyant sound that is uniquely there's. In addition, the English Baroque soloists do an efficient job of supporting the choir.--Amazon


CD Content

# Komm, Jesu, komm, motet for chorus & continuo, BWV 229
# O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, motet for chorus & brass ("Cantata No. 118"), BWV 118a
# Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, motet for vocal soloists, chorus & continuo, BWV 226
# Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, motet for chorus & organ, BWV 230
# Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren, motet for chorus & continuo, BWV 231
# Der Gerechte kömmt um, motet for 5-part chorus, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings & continuo
# Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir, motet for double chorus, BWV 228
# Jesu, meine Freude, motet for 5-part chorus, BWV 227
# Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, motet for chorus, BWV 225
# Cantata No. 50, "Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft" (incomplete), BWV 50