The origins of
Andre Campra
's
Messe de Requiem
are a bit murky, but it was probably written in 1695 as a memorial to the deceased Archbishop of Paris. That would make it one of the earlier French works to show the influence of the high Italian Baroque style. Most of the major Baroque specialist conductors have recorded the work, but this reading by
Emmanuelle Haim
and
Le Concert D'Astree
is among the strongest. It is a sizable group that does justice to the French court style and fills the Chapelle Royale at Versailles, where it was splendidly recorded during pauses in the renovation of the space.
Campra
's mass shows a variety of influences, from a sober medieval sound based in plainchant to theatrical flavors from France and Italy. It is restrained but not especially dark. The Italian strain grows in the other two works on the album, both motets that are far from frequent in the repertory.
Rameau
's rather dense but elegantly handled
In convertendo Dominus
, recounting the liberation of the Israelites from Babylon, makes a nice counterpoint to the
, setting the pattern of an emergence from darkness into light for the program as a whole. The pattern is completed by the lovely
In exitu Israel
of
Jean-Joseph Mondonville
, also on the theme of the Israelites (crossing the Red Sea this time), which is both virtuosic and joyous.
Haim
's enthusiasm for this repertory is palpable, and the musty, processional feel sometimes heard in performances of French Baroque court music is nowhere in evidence. It may have been surprising to see this rather obscure music show up on classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2023, but the reason is that the music is infectious indeed. ~ James Manheim