Customer Reviews

Charpentier - Vespres à la Vierge / Le Concert Spirituel · Niquet

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I keep returning to this disc as it is one of my favorite recordings of Charpentier's music. The motets recorded here are not very large scale, but have a presence that belies their scoring. The performances are excellent; the choir possessing a rather Gallic sound with a full, occasionally percussive, attack. I personally find the idiomatic French pronunciation of the Latin to be beguiling, although some people may dislike it.

The music itself is consistently of the highest quality. Charpentier is undoubtedly very French, but his training in Italy lends his music a certain fire that makes him slightly different from his contemporaries. The Beatus vir, for example, has great momentum and the lively counterpoint that pushes towards the final bars is quite exciting.

All of the recordings of Charpentier by Herve Niquet are good, but this particular volume is one of the best.

Regarding the quality of this piece, I refer you to the earlier review above, by someone who knows Charpentier performances far better than I. From the point of view of the amateur generalist (that's me), I am delighted to find such a good work with expert performances in an inexpensive issue. It stands as well or better among contemporary liturgical works, with more interest than Medieval or early Renaissance works, and is a nice transition to the heights of Hayden, Handel, and Mozart.