Programme
Salve mi Jesu
Daniel Danielis (1635-1696)
Ô sponse mi
Henri Du Mont (1610-1684)
Sola vivebat
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)
Regina Caeli
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
Ô dulcissime Domine
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
Ave verum
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)
Ô Gloriosa Domina
Henri Du Mont (1610-1684)
Seconde leçon des morts
Sébastien de Brossard (1665-1730)
Sonate en trio detta la Primagenità
Sébastien de Brossard (1665-1730)
Tota pulchra es
André Campra (1660-1744)
Salve Regina
Paolo Lorenzani (1640-1713)
The CMBV choir Les Pages under Fabien Armengaud returns to the finest French petits motets by Italian-influenced Baroque composers, a blend of French suaveness and transalpine boldness.
Italy has always been a source of inspiration and fascination for French composers. A voyage to Italy was not just for painters and architects – it was a must for many. In Paris as early as the late 17th century, Italian music was played at numerous literary and society gatherings. Abbot Matthieu, for one, had a library containing over two hundred French and Italian works and organised weekly recitals of religious music. The same went for many Italian composers based in Paris like Paolo Lorenzani, Superintendent of the Queen’s music, who left a magnificent collection of secular and sacred music.
This programme of petits motet highlights such Italianate French composers as Nicolas Bernier, André Campra, Nicolas Clérambault and of course the Marc-Antoine Charpentier, who paved the way for a dialogue between French and Italian music.