Jean-Baptiste Lully, HervA© Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel - Lully: Grand Motets Vol. 3 / Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel

Grand Motets Vol. 1-3 Lully - Master of Grand Motets

Great vocal and instrumental music I never get tired of listening to them! Long Live Lully August 16, 2006

An explosive welcome to 'Le Chapelle Royal'

In contradiction to what the title of this CD indicates, not only Grands Motets but also two Petits Motets are recorded. They form a moment of rest between the three festive large-scale 'coronation' Motets written for the Chapelle Royal. While the Petits Motets confirm the reputation of French baroque music being tender and sweet, the Grands Motets demonstrate that French baroque is baroque in any sense: full of contrast, brilliance, colour, drama and complexity. The motets recorded here date from the 1680's, showing Lully's talent at the peak of his creativity. Le Concert Spirituel's performance of this music is in my opinion a reference, which allows to forget any other performance: the warm and full sound of the continuo, the extreme precision in orchestra and chorus allowing to hear the polyphonic aspects of the works, the dancing and elegance make this recording incomparable. In combination with an excellent set of singers (including the remarkable J.P. Fouchécourt!), Niquet transforms each motet into a unique whole, demonstrating that the 'Gesammtkunstwerk' aspect of Lully's operas is also valid for his religious music. March 1, 2001

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