Campra: Grands Motets (2003)

This splendid disc is an excellent introduction to a Baroque figure who composed sacred and secular music with equal authority and success. In his grands motets, especially the mature works featured on this splendid disc, André Campra (1660-1744) did not hesitate to introduce dazzling, technically demanding passages, both vocal and instrumental, which bring to mind the sumptuous glamour of Baroque operas. However, as William Christie's impeccable performance makes abundantly clear, these are profoundly spiritual works. ... Read More

This splendid disc is an excellent introduction to a Baroque figure who composed sacred and secular music with equal authority and success. In his grands motets, especially the mature works featured on this splendid disc, André Campra (1660-1744) did not hesitate to introduce dazzling, technically demanding passages, both vocal and instrumental, which bring to mind the sumptuous glamour of Baroque operas. However, as William Christie's impeccable performance makes abundantly clear, these are profoundly spiritual works. While one is easily and understandably seduced by the sheer brilliance of the performance, the ensemble and soloists wear their great virtuosity lightly, so to speak, immediately revealing the music's spiritual depth. Naturally, Campra, like other great French composers of sacred music, paid close attention to the biblical text, often allowing the narrative to guide his musical inspiration. However, while Baroque composers of sacred music in France recognized the expressive power of... Read Less