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This short collection of 18th century French cantatas was an unexpected
— and really unlooked for — gem. Performed by the excellent Musiciens
du Louvre led by Marc Minkowski, it features works by Stuck, Clérambault,
and Blamont, three composers who are not exactly well known but who have
gotten some significant attention lately in the New Baroque Revival.
Very beautiful indeed is Stuck's "Pleurez, pleurez mes tristes yeux" —
worth a couple hundred listens I think. The Stuck cantata betrays its
slightly earlier origins compared to the Clérambault and the Blamont.
The Clérambault cantata is interesting both from a musical and historical
view, having been written to celebrate the return to good health of Louis XV
after an illness, Louis then being little more than a child. This cantata
is sung by the wonderful and off-the-wall Mireille Delunsch, one of my
favorites.
Something I found interesting here also is that both the arias "Servez
cet Amant glorieux" by Blamont and "Poursuits ta brillante carrière" by
Clérambault use a distinctive rising melodic line of tonic to supertonic
to mediant with a specific rhythm attached to it — a motíf which is also
prominent in Rameau's Platée. I am wondering if this might not be a
vocal motíf common to the French Baroque in general. But with only three
samples, even fairly random ones, it is impossible to determine.
An excellent album. And one that serves as a further reminder that the
Baroque was a much, much broader river than a traveler might think.
For more information on the works, see here.
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault Le Soleil, vainqueur des nuages (1721)"Poursuits ta brillante carrière"(As always, it will take a minute or two to open in your media player.)
Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
This is a very beautiful piece – I particularly like the way the woodwind and vocal lines weave around each other. Good find, Ed!:yes:
Originally posted by musickna:
You know thanks for mentioning that. I went back and listened to it and you are very much right — a weaving. :up:I wonder what this thing is with the French and birds? :pAm very happy that you enjoyed it! :cheers:
Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
Definitely something – taken to to logical end by Messiaen in his Catalogue d'oiseaux and other pieces.Mind you, I can think of a couple of non-French bird inspired pieces of the top of my head – Respighi's "The Birds" and Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending". Both of which happen to among the most popular of all classical pieces.
I don`t know what to say about this post, I am not competent enough. The only French song popular on this side of a big pond is this one made by ZAZ. Not that it has anything to do with your post :whistle:
Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
Not at all. It shows up half a second after clicking – in a seperate window in the browser.I like the alto setup. Both the singer and the flutes.
@ Martin.Glad you liked it. And I agree — Delunsch is really more of an alto than a soprano, although for some reason they call her a soprano. Maybe they mean mezzo-soprano. Sort of like "kinda-sorta-soprano." :p
@ Darko.You know that's a little jazzy but I like it anyway. Did I catch a middle eastern inflection in that one passage? That "hand horn" she plays, I mean wow, you wouldn't even have to buy a case for it. Unless you bought a pair of gloves — but that would be cheap too. :pThanks for the link. As soon as I get the time I will listen to a few more of their songs. :up:
Originally posted by Aqualion:
Like, Wayne Newton? Cause I always kinda wondered about that guy. :lol:I'm sure that soprano / mezzo-soprano / alto / contralto are at least somewhat approximate terms. Singers have all sorts of vocal ranges. They say that Kate Bush has a three octave range. So she would be all of those. I remember AC singing in the video. A definite alto type part. :up:
That "hand horn" or "hand trumpet" has a name but I can`t remember now, my friend told me about that some time ago.
Originally posted by gdare:
Well I'll check with the music supply places. Maybe they have it listed.:p
As far as I know there are no clear limits as to when the vocal is alto. It depends on the span of the artist, don't it? Some singers go both ways. My wife has a classical background and is trained as an alto and her interpretations of especially songs in minor are very touching. She specialized in those when she was in the classical choir. She sings gospel now, also in the alto secition, and she gets the more gloamy solo parts too. She does a very convincing Maria Mater, and there's this gospel song covering the last thoughts of the crucified Christ, don't remember the title, and when she does that, there is no other sound in the church. It is like the walls themselves are quiet. Altos are interesting, I think. Sopranos come and go.And I am not talking about Tony.