musica Dei donum
CD reviews
"La naissance de Versailles"
Choeur de la Maîtrise du CRR de Paris;
Choeur de l'Opéra Royal;
Consort Musica Vera
Dir: Jean-Baptiste Nicolas
rec: Oct 4 - 7, 2023, Versailles, Chapelle Royale
Château de Versailles Spectacles - CVS140 (© 2024) (73'28")
Liner-notes: E/D/F; lyrics - translations: E/D/F
Cover, track-list & booklet
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Guillaume BOUZICNAC (1587-1643):
Cantate Domino omnis Francia;
Domine salvum fac regem;
Dum silentium apparuit;
Ex ore infantium a 8;
Eustache DU CAURROY (1549-1609):
Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat;
Victimae paschali laudes;
Nicolas FORMÉ (1567-1638):
Messe à double choeur;
André Danican PHILIDOR dit l'Ancien (1652-1730) (ed):
Ballet à Cheval fait pour le grand Carrousel;
Bransle de Bourgogne;
La Victoire;
Passe Meze, fait pour les hautbois et cornets;
Pavane fait au mariage de Monsieur de Vandosme;
plainchant, arr Pierre CHÉPÉLOV (*1979):
Te Deum en Faux Bourdon;
Jehan TITELOUZE (1563-1633):
Magnificat en premier ton
[CMV] Nathan Degrange-Roncier, Raphaelle Soumagnas, Ludmila Krivich, cornett;
Constantin Meyer, Solveig Rousse, Antoine Houzelle, sackbut;
Julian Rincon, Felipe Jones, anches doubles;
Olivier Mourault, Florian Leard, Magali Herrera, Pierre-Yves Madeuf, trumpet;
Michel Pozmanter, cervelat;
Natacha Gauthier, violin;
Ershad Tehran, Alexandre Valay, violin, double bass;
Léa Masson, Morgan Marquié, theorbo;
Pierre Chépélov, Gidas Guillon, keyboard;
Julien Gourdin percussion
Versailles is almost exclusively connected to Louis XIV, who used it as his residence from 1682. However, it existed in 1624 as a small hunting lodge for his father, Louis XIII. He decided to rebuild it in 1631; the construction was finished in 1634, and this was the basis of the later Palace. The disc under review brings together music to celebrate the creation of Versailles; the year 1623 in the title refers to the year Louis decided to build a lodge there.
The programme that has been put together by Jean-Baptiste Nicolas is entirely speculative, as the text on the rear cover indicates: "[What] if, before entering his new home, the King had wanted it to be given a special lustre by a religious consecration?" Nicolas, in his liner-notes, states: "[Accompanied] by the musicians of the royal chapel and no doubt by those of l'écurie (the stables), it is certain that the first mass was held there, although no tangible trace of it remains." He does not mention any evidence. The title of the track-list adds the year 1623, and that suggests that this is the year this mass may have taken place. However, Nicolas opens his liner-notes thus: "At the end of the 1620s, Louis XIII asserted his supremacy. He had triumphed over the Protestants, crushing one revolt after another, intensifying his diplomatic
and military initiatives, and further consolidating his power. The acquisition of a new château together with its grounds, although initially intended for divertissement, would sooner or later be perceived as an assertion of royal power." This suggests that he took 1634 as the starting point of his reconstruction, but nowhere is that specified. The fact that one of the pieces in the programme was written to celebrate the victory over the Protestants at La Rochelle in 1628 points in the same direction.
"This first mass, purely reconstructed, has been imagined as a political exaltation of royalty, compiling the most important works from the monarch's repertoire, those that glorify the sovereign, depicting an ideal portrait of his reign. Peppered with military fanfares and specific compositions, there are numerous pieces testifying to the great victories of his reign." Speculative the programme may be, but the programme gives a nice idea of the kind of music that Louis XIII may have heard. That is especially important as the music written and performed under the reign of his successor, known as the 'Sun King'; receives much more attention.
Three composers figure prominently in the programme. In the year of his death, Nicolas Formé dedicated a mass to Louis XIII, to mark, in his own words, "28 years of humble service and continual allegiance". This mass, scored for double choir, is performed here. He was not, as Formé claimed, the first Frenchman to write music in the Venetian style in France, but it is the only mass for double choir from this period that has survived. Nicolas writes: "Formé broke with Italian style by opting
for two choirs structured differently: one high-pitched, the other low-pitched - thus asserting his opposition to the Italian and Germanic styles, which favoured homogeneous choirs." This is incorrect: in Venice the two choirs were sometimes scored differently; homogeneous choirs were common in the Roman polychoral tradition. In its contrast between a quartet of (solo) voices and a five-part choir, this work points in the direction of the grand motet which was to come into existence in the second half of the 17th century. Although the mass was published in 1638, it may have been written earlier. There is no indication that the voices are to be supported by instruments, but that does not mean they were not used. This was usually left to the performers, and if it was indeed performed at a special occasion, the participation of instruments is very likely.
The second composer who is represented here with several works is Guillaume Bouzignac. He was probably born in Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude, near Narbonne. As a composer he made an early start: a motet was performed when he was just 17 years of age. At the time he was sous-maître at the Cathedral in Narbonne, where he had also studied. Nothing is known of his whereabouts between 1609 and 1624, when he was appointed maître de musique of Bourges Cathedral. Is has been assumed that he had been in Italy, which may well explain the Italian influences in his compositions. He later worked in Rodez and Clermont-Ferrand. There is no evidence of any ties to Paris. The liner-notes to William Christie's recording of motets by Bouzignac (Harmonia mundi, 1993) sum up the features of his style: the use of ritornelli to provide structural unity, dialogues, repeated reiteration of text fragments, a greater use of madrigalisms (word painting) in sacred music than was practice of his contemporaries and a lack of homogeneity or unity of style, resulting in a mosaic quality. The use of dialogue is demonstrated in the Christmas motet Dum silentium, which is a dialogue between the angels and the shepherds, and Ex ore infantium for the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
The third composer who plays a major role here is Jehan Titelouze, who is considered the first significant composer of organ music in France. He was born in St Omer where he may have received his first musical training. In 1585 he entered the priesthood and acted as substitute organist at the cathedral. That same year he moved to Rouen where he was appointed organist of the cathedal in 1588. He held this position until his death. Rouen was an important centre of organ playing. In 1636 he published a collection of verses of the Magnificat in the eight church modes. Verses in the first mode are playe here between the sections of the mass. Liturgically speaking this is very questionable, as the Magnificat did not have a place in the mass. Nowhere is explained why these verses are included here. What is more: Titelouze is not mentioned at all in the liner-notes. I also wonder whether in 1634 Versailles had already an organ large enough to play such music.
The programme also includes a Te Deum - a text often set for occasions of the monarchy and the state across Europe, and certainly also France. There it was usually performed in plainchant, often in fauxbourdon, and that is how the even-numbered verses are performed here; the odd-numbered are sung monophonically with organ accompaniment.
The instruments used here are those which were common in Louis XIII's time. André Danican Philidor is mentioned as the composer of the instrumental pieces, but it would have been more correct to mention him as the editor. Under Louis XIV he was the King's music librarian; in this capacity he collected the music that was written and performed at the court from the time of Henri IV until his own time. What we have here are pieces from the time of Louis XIII; it seems likely that Philidor may have scored them for the instruments common in his time, such as oboes. The latter did not exist in Louis XIII's time, and so they are played on cornetts, sackbuts and trumpets, sometimes with additional percussion.
A fixed part of each mass was a prayer for the well-being of the monarch. Masses and often also grand motets included settings of the text "Domine salvum fac regem" - "O Lord, save the king: and hear us in the day that we shall call upon thee." It is the last section of the mass by Formé, and this is followed by an extended separate setting by Bouzignac, which ends with the doxology, after which the opening phrase is repeated a few times. It is not the only manifestation of the close ties between church and state, and in particular the King. The saying "L'état c'est moi" is attributed to Louis XIV, but his father did not think any differently. In Bouzignac's motet Dum silentium the chorus of the angels sings "Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth", which is followed by a reference to Louis' own time: "Peace be upon our Pope and on earth; Peace be upon our King and on earth. Peace be upon Prince Henry. Peace be upon the heretics - No! Only to men of good will!" ("Heretics" refers to the Protestants.) And in Ex ore infantium the phrase "Out of the mouths of infants you receive praise" (a reference to words of Jesus in Matthew 21) is connected to Louis: "When you defeated the English and laid siege to La Rochelle, out of the mouths of infants you receive praise."
This is undoubtedly a very interesting disc, given that the largest part of the repertoire is little-known or not known at all. However, its concept is debatable. This is no liturgical reconstruction - based on historical sources or freely invented - as there are too many elements that don't fit any liturgy. I mentioned the inclusion of Magnificat verses, and I add the fact that Kyrie and Gloria are separated by several pieces, whereas in the mass they are always performed without interruption. It is correct that the performance ends with a setting of Domine salvum fac regem, but including two different settings is another odd feature of this recording.
Both the concept and the way it has been worked out don't really convince me. This recording can best be considered a survey of what music was written in Louis XIII's time in France and what may have been performed in his attendance. That is well worth being investigated, as that is a little-known part of French music history. The performances are generally quite good, and especially the use of instruments gives some idea of the splendour at the French court. In the passages for fewer voices some vibrato is clearly audible, which is a shame. In the booklet the lyrics of Victimae paschali laudes and Te Deum are omitted.
Depite the issues mentioned above, this disc is well worth being investigated.
Johan van Veen (© 2024)
Relevant links:
Consort Musica Vera