Les Arts Florissants / William Christie CHARPENTIER La Descente D'Orphée aux Enfers

LA DESCENTE D'ORPHÉE AUX ENFERS

Les Arts Florissants 40 ANS

Dedicated to the performance of Baroque music for the last 40 years, Les Arts Florissants never cease unearthing new repertoire, much of which is rated among the finest musical achievements in the cultural life of France (Lully, de Lalande, Charpentier, Rameau), Italy (Monteverdi, Rossi) and England (Purcell, Handel) - a legacy they have made available to musicians and ensembles worldwide.

Whether intended for church services, for theatre stages or for royal entertainment, here are some of the choicest musical gems, ranging from the legendary recording of Atys to the most recent collections of airs and madrigals, to list but a few.

Nearly every musical chapter in the story of the ensemble made history and, along with hours of pure pleasure, this retrospective is sure to bring back fond memories of your first encounter with Les Arts Florissants, who have become a pillar of our collective cultural life.

Les Arts Florissants / Paul Agnew LES MAÎTRES DU MOTET

A sophisticated composer, Brossard also left his mark thanks to the extraordinary collection of music manuscripts he amassed over the course of his life. Preserved for posterity when he catalogued and handed it over to the royal library in 1724, the compendium contains an impressive number of musical gems like the Requiem by Bouteiller, which Brossard counted among the best Mass settings in his possession. Focusing on the work of these French masters, Paul Agnew has fashioned a program exploring the role of cathedral and chapel choirs during the reign of Louis XIV.

Emmanuelle Haïm / Le Concert d'Astrée PURCELL Dido and Aeneas

Despite its brevity, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas holds many charms for audience and performers alike, so it's no wonder that there has recently been something of a boomlet in recordings and reissues (certainly, it doesn't hurt that this mini-sized opera fits easily on one disc). This particular traversal is helmed by the rising young French conductor and harpsichordist Emmanuelle Haïm, whose snap and vigor in this repertoire is immensely appealing. Another real pleasure is getting to know the stylish Concert d'Astrée, whose poise and elegance is a welcome addition to the roster of Baroque ensembles.
Haïm keeps the work zipping along at a terrific clip but still gives her soloists plenty of room to luxuriate--and what soloists she has! As Dido, Susan Graham blends her signature warmth with a great deal of sweet wistfulness, particularly in the famous aria "Dido's Lament", in which her melancholy is matched by a chromatically descending bass line. As sung by Ian Bostridge, Aeneas is a soulful warrior, and Felicity Palmer's Sorceress offers plenty of venom without resorting to the nasal vamping that many others singing this role have used. David Daniels' brief turn as the Spirit deserves a special salute for a wonderfully funny caricature (imagine a minor, wheedling office clerk from the bureaucratic pantheon). The sound is as full and rich as the mythic portrayals, making this an easy recommendation. (Anastasia Tsioulcas, ClassicsToday.com)

Paul Agnew / Anne-Marie Lasla / Elizabeth Kenny / Blandine Rannou PURCELL The Food Of Love

When England was famously snubbed as the ‘land without music’ in the early 20th century, there was one name mentioned as our saving grace – Henry Purcell. He was, said one critic scornfully, the last great composer this country had produced in 250 years. This year’s 350th anniversary of his birth is, then, perhaps particularly special for the British – although this disc of Purcell songs, by the French label Naïve, has a noticeably French flavour.

As tenor Paul Agnew and violist Anne-Marie Lasla write in the sleeve notes, Purcell’s music comes with a “distinctly continental twist” – today, apparently, Purcell is very popular with the French, perhaps because in him they can hear something of their own style. On this disc, we hear the continental influence not only within the music, but in the programme: Purcell’s secular songs are punctuated with instrumental works by the composer’s contemporaries, one Italian, one French and one English.

Purcell’s songs are fantastically difficult to bring off – conveying that finely balanced partnership between music and words, but also taking them on an emotional journey. Do it properly and it’s unbearably moving; do it wrong and it’s agonisingly boring. Luckily Agnew gets it just right, and the ensemble behind him is flawless. There is the right blend of restraint and subtlety, with emotional guts – try I loved Fair Celia or the heartfelt Solitude with a wonderfully well-judged solo viol.

Very rarely – even in the long text settings – do attentions wander, such is the power of Agnew’s clear diction. But one small criticism has to be the tendency to over-floridity – such as Ah! How sweet it is to love, which would benefit from more purity and less vibrato. The famous Music for a While setting is a touch slow and static, although beautifully sung.

These are minor quibbles. Generally the performances are outstanding – and the idea of breaking up the Purcell songs with instrumental solos inspired. The guitar works meanwhile – by Corbetta and de Visée and performed by Elizabeth Kenny – are among the most atmospheric on the disc. (Katie Greening 2009)