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Reviewer:
Lindsay Kemp Although Michel-Richard de Lalande is not the most frequently recorded of French Baroque composers, he was certainly one of the major figures of his day, the man Louis XIV put in charge of his church music and who from that position of power fully plumbed the expressive potential of the imposing form of church piece for choir, soloists and orchestra known as the grand motet. He wrote over 70 during a period of nearly 40 years, but the three recorded here, all early examples from the 1680s, show that from the beginning he was able to handle the genre with assurance and imagination. These fine performances realise their majesty, variety and sheer style to the full. Deitatis majestatem, majestatis potestatem, as its title suggests, is a work of dignified sweep, though one in which celebration of heavenly/earthly power is tempered by awed restraint. Lalande’s control of momentum over eight shortish sections is masterful, his ability to sustain their mood effortless. Ecce nunc benedicite is more joyful and simple in construction, with two choruses enclosing a more soulful central quartet that reaches up from the depths in wonder. And the Te Deum, one of his best-known works (heard here in a revised version from the 1710s) ranges from trumpet-and-drum militarism to the surprising, still reverence of ‘Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus’ to the most intimate music for soloists (the elegant, tender simplicity of ‘Tu ad liberandum’ is heart-melting). Indeed, in all these works one is repeatedly struck by Lalande’s confident skill and diversity at setting words, indicating that he considered each section anew rather than slip lazily into the generic. The recording was made at live performances in the Chapelle Royale at Versailles, gaining thereby in atmosphere (including what sound like distant fireworks at one point in the Te Deum), if at the usual (but slight) cost of presence and detail. Vincent Dumestre finds ideal blend and balance of both sound and texture among his forces, however, and reacts with skill and care to every one of Lalande’s expressive demands. One need ask no more. |
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