Grands motets

Description

Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville extended the French tradition of the grand motet established by Lully and Lalande. Glossa presents here four of his motets in the version by Gyorgy Vashegyi leading a vocal quintet (formed by splendid soloists: Chantal Santon-Jeffery, Daniela Skorka, Mathias Vidal, Jeffrey Thompson, Alain Buet), the Orfeo Orchestra, and the Purcell Choir, who are also masters in the field. Vashegyi, whose prestige as an interpreter of the French repertoire continues to grow, chose this music to follow the "Fêtes de Polymnie," an opera by Rameau released last year by Glossa. Originally from Narbonne, Mondonville reached the peak of his Parisian career around the second third of the 18th century, particularly at the Concert Spirituel and with the King's Chamber and Chapel. His catalog includes not only operas, oratorios, and instrumental music, but also a series of grand religious motets, spectacular works that were often performed in public. Four of these motets - "De profundis," "Magnus Dominus," "Cantate Domino," and "Nisi Dominus" - recorded in this double album allow us to fully appreciate Mondonville's virtuosic art where the talent for orchestration rivals the inventiveness and beauty of his agile melodies. Louis Castelain, responsible for the edition of two of these motets, writes the brilliant and informative text on Mondonville's life that accompanies this exciting recording made in Budapest under the auspices of the CMBV (Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles).