Notre Dame and Campra

[doversoul1]

Saturday
To celebrate the 850th anniversary of the first stone of Notre Dame de Paris being laid, Catherine Bott explores the beginnings of music in the great cathedral.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s43qm

Sunday
Catherine Bott presents a profile of Andre Campra - a musical innovator, and something of a rebel at the turn of the 18th Century. His stint as Music Director of Notre Dame Cathedral was wracked with controversy, thanks to Campra's wishes to branch out into music for the theatre...a pastime which was abhorred by the ecclesiastical authorities.
When Campra produced the first ever opera-ballet in 1697, he did so under a thinly-disguised pseudonym, but the acclaim he received as a result of the success of "L'Europe Galante" catapulted him into Parisian celebrity and set him up for a glittering operatic career which lasted for another 40 years.
Recordings of Campra's motets and operatic dances are played from Paul Agnew, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, William Christie and Les Arts Florissants.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s46w4

…as well as La Petite Bande, with Gustav Leonhardt and René Jacobs.

[MickyD]

Ah, that wonderful vintage Erato recording of the Campra Requiem by JEG - never been bettered, in my opinion.

[vinteuil]

. His stint as Music Director of Notre Dame Cathedral was wracked with controversy, thanks to Campra's wishes to branch out into music for the theatre....

... probably to go on the "Pedants" thread - but...

I wonder if the writer meant 'racked' rather than 'wracked'...

But both programmes look delightful. I shall certainly be toonin' in...

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah, that wonderful vintage Erato recording of the Campra Requiem by JEG - never been bettered, in my opinion.

Ah....

I have this one



which I like very much

and this one



the cover of which I like very much...

(I remember I bought it for a couple of quid in Gramex years ago because I like the cover. Call me Shallow...)

[vinteuil]

Ah....

I have this one
[Herreweghe] which I like very much and this one [Malgoire]

the cover of which I like very much...

(I remember I bought it for a couple of quid in Gramex years ago because I like the cover. Call me Shallow...)

well, maître Shallow - I envy you the Herreweghe - but on the other hand - I find Malgoire unlistenable to - too sludgy by more than half.

I have the JEG : my bank manager has said nice things to me of late, so perhaps a Herreweghe may be in the offing. Otherwise there is a birthday within the next few months ; a tactful hint might be dropped in an appropriate ear..

EDIT - always worth checking what one already has ... I find the Herreweghe Campra Requiem is there, lurking in the harmonia mundi Lumières / Enlightenment box - must give it a whirl this weekend...

[amateur51]

well, maître Shallow - I envy you the Herreweghe - but on the other hand - I find Malgoire unlistenable to - too sludgy by more than half.

To be fair vints, m'Learned friend was only recommending the sleeve of the Malgoire

EDIT - always worth checking what one already has ... I find the Herreweghe Campra Requiem is there, lurking in the harmonia mundi Lumières / Enlightenment box - must give it a whirl this weekend...

What a box of delights that is

[Nick Armstrong]

I find Malgoire unlistenable to - too sludgy by more than half.

Agreed, hence my enthusiasm for the cover. (EDIT: as I see the ever-vigilant Am51 perceived!)

I recall Visse and Ragon being too hooty by almost three-quarters, too. I seem to remember that the vocal quality of 'Les pages de la chapelle' was refreshing and interesting though.

Glad to have been instrumental in dispelling your envy and casting some Light into a corner of your collection

[MickyD]

Hey, Vints and Caliban - how do you think the Herreweghe matches the Gardiner? There is something about the latter version which I find truly wonderful....the opening Introit is spellbinding for me. I think many years ago when Gardiner gave it a Proms premier, he also did the Fauré Requiem in the second half of the programme. Must have been an interesting programme.

[ardcarp]

CB's Notre Dame programme was given a trail on 'Breakfast' this morning...the Hilliards (sans alto) doing Perotin's O Maria Virginei [sic]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=airrAm6Dkeo

Lovely. Should be a great EMS today.

[MickyD]

That Hilliard/Pérotin disc on ECM is simply superb...the centuries seem to roll back when I hear it! I often put it on during the winter, on dark nights when the Mistral is blowing its worst around my house. Fantastic!

[Old Grumpy]

Another superb EMS today. Thanks to Catherine and the team. I am being Informed, Educated and Entertained (RW take note! )

OG

[Bax-of-Delights]

[QUOTEWhat a box of delights that is [/QUOTE]

Someone call?

Stumbled across the programme this lunch-time and although Early Music isn't normally my taste I was much taken by what I heard.

[ardcarp]

Indeed, a lovely prorgramme. I thought Perotin's Viderunt Omnes was taken rather slowly. I prefer those triple-rhythm top parts to dance along...and I've done it with tiny tuned antique cymbals dinging away on the first of each (putative) bar. Effective...but probably to be frowned upon by the cognoscenti.

[MickyD]

Indeed, a lovely prorgramme. I thought Perotin's Viderunt Omnes was taken rather slowly. I prefer those triple-rhythm top parts to dance along...and I've done it with tiny tuned antique cymbals dinging away on the first of each (putative) bar. Effective...but probably to be frowned upon by the cognoscenti.

I agree with you, ardcarp...much too slow for me. I would recommend the Hilliard disc or the one David Munrow did for Archiv many moons ago ( if I remember rightly, he used some bells too!)

[DracoM]

Terrific programme. You had the feeling all the way though that this was experimentation with everything - sound, voices, pitch and in many ways the drama of the setting / acoustic More so than a heck of a lot written today.