Search - Campra, Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists :: Campra: Requiem (Messe Des Morts) / Gardiner

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 03/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A THEATRICAL 'MESSES DES MORTS'-JUST LOVE IT!

Andre Campra (1660-1744), the most important composer between Lully and Rameau, began his career as a church musician in 1694 at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. In 1700 he resigned and became music director of the Academie Royale, presiding over revivals of Lully's operas while also presenting a fresh work each year. By comparison with Lully,Campra's style appears more melodic and more polyphonic. His harmonic structure is more modulatory, and above all, he never renounced Italianism. All of this is very evident in his Requiem which shows musically his theatrical interest.



Campra, in addition to his large output of theater music, did not by any means 'skimp' on his sacred music. He wrote 20 cantatas, 100 motets, songs and airs and a setting of a Requiem Mass which is on this disc.



Mere words cannot describe the incredible loveliness of this Mass. It is one beautiful melody after another with an instrumental accompaniment that is light and pleasant and exciting using mostly woodwinds (flutes) and strings and therebo.



The vocal soloists are interspersed throughout the Mass, but not so much that the Monteverdi Choir is left out. On the contrary, it is really about 75% choir and they are marvelous in their delivery of all the choruses therein. Their tone quality is bouyant, their diction flawless and their emotional investment is great. The soloists simply add to the choir's contribution, and they too are very good.



This recording was made in 1981, and is surely one of Gardiner's masterpieces. And I might mention that there are several listings of this same recording; some are the old 'Erato' disc, and there is a new one remastered under the title: Campra Requiem, a 'le Voyage musical' label. Prices vary, so check it out."