Philippe Pierlot, Ricercar Consort – Couperin: Apotheoses (2012) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz]

Philippe Pierlot, Ricercar Consort – Couperin: Apotheoses (2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88.2 kHz | Digital Booklet | 1.08 GB | Genre: Classical
Official Digital Download – Source: Qobuz

Philippe Pierlot and his superb Ricercar Consort present tributes to both Corelli and Lully with the two Apothéoses by François Couperin, written in the memory of Arcangelo Corelli and Jean-Baptiste Lully respectively. Behind them is an aesthetic programme: they are a plea for the mixture of the Italian and the French style, the so-called goûts réunis. The ensemble consists of Marc Hantaï and Georges Barthel (transverse flutes), François Fernandez and Sophie Gent (violins), Philippe Pierlot (viola da gamba), Eduardo Egüez (theorbo and guitar) and François Guerrier (harpsichord). Both pieces are given lively and expressive interpretations: Couperin’s Apothéoses are in the tradition of the tombeau, and therefore the Tombeau de Monsieur de Lully by Jean-Féry Rebel fits well into the programme and is performed in between the two pieces by Couperin.

Composer: François Couperin
Conductor: Philippe Pierlot
Orchestra/Ensemble: Ricercar Consort

Reviews:
Antagonism between French and Italian Baroque music was generated largely by politics, royal taste and ill-qualified critics. (The famous description of Leclair playing the violin like an angel, and Locatelli like a devil, comes from a minor Dutch organist from Groningen.

In the two ‘apotheoses’ on this disc, François Couperin raises to God-like status both the Italian Corelli and the Italian-born turncoat Lully. But Couperin’s ultimate achievement is ‘la réunion des goûts’ (the reuniting of tastes).

Le Parnasse ou l’apothéose de Corelli is a thoroughly Italian trio sonata – two violins with continuo – in which Corelli approaches Parnassus, drinks from the inspiring Hippocrene fountain, falls asleep, and thanks the Muses for honouring him. Meanwhile, in Concert à la mémoire de Lulli, Lully’s elevation to God-like status evokes ‘subterranean rumblings’ of jealousy and groans from his contemporaries, with flutes added to strings. Finally, both composers accompany each other in turn, celebrating the ‘réunion’ of music greater than the sum of its parts.

The consort’s performance is superbly stylised, from the disarming simplicity of Corelli’s ‘sleep’ to the delicate cross-rhythms of a gentle Lullian ‘air’. Jean-Féry Rebel’s Tombeau de Monsieur de Lully, which divides the Couperin pieces, spectacularly contrasts Italian fire with French lyricism.

The programme is excellently recorded in a glorious acoustic. The liner notes (lacking dates and translations) could be more helpful.

Tracklist:

Le Parnasse ou L´Apothéose de Corelli. Grande Sonade, en Trio
1. Corelli au piéd du Parnasse prie les Muses de le Recevoir parmi elles
2. Corelli charmé de la bonne réception qu´on lui fait au Parnasse, en
marque Sa joye. Il continuë avec ceux qui L´accompagnent
3. Corelli buvant à la Source D´hypocrêne. Sa Troupe Continuë
4. Enthouziasme de Corelli Causé par les eaux D´hypocrêne
5. Corelli aprés son enthouziasme S´endort; et sa Troupe jouê le Sommeil suivant
6. Les Muses reveillent Corelli, et le placent auprês d´Apollon
7. Remerciment de Corelli

Tombeau de Monsieur de Lully – Jean Ferry REBEL
8. Gravement
9. Gay
10. Recit
11. Recit
12. Les Regrets. Grave

Concert Instrumental sous le Titre d´Apothéose composé
à la mémoire immortelle de l´incomparable Monsieur de Lulli
13. Lulli aux Champs Elisés: Concertant avec les Ombres liriques
14. Air pour les mêmes
15. Vol de Mercure aux Champs Elisés, pour avertir qu´Apollon y va descendre
16. Descente d´Apollon: qui vient offrir son violon à Lulli; et sa place au Parnasse
17. Rumeur Souteraine: Causée par les Auteurs Contemporains de Lulli
18. Plaintes des Mêmes pour des Flûtes ou pour des Violons tres adoucis
19. Enlévement de Lulli au Parnasse
20. Accüeil entre-Doux, et Agard, fait à Lulli par Corelli et par les Muses italiénes
21. Remerciment de Lulli: á Apollon
22. Apollon, persuade Lulli, et Corelli Que la réünion des Goûts François et

Italien doit faire la perfection de la Musique. Essai en forme d´Ouverture.
23. Lulli, joüant le sujet; et Corelli l´acompagnant.
24. Corelli, joüant le sujet à son tour, que Lulli acompagne
25. Corelli, joüant le sujet; et Lulli l´acompagnant.
26. Lulli, joüant le sujet à son tour, que Corelli acompagne
27. Gravement
28. Saillie Vivement
29. Rondement
30. Vivement

Download:

mqs.link_CuperinApthesesRicercarCnsrtPhilippePierlt201288.224.part1.rar
mqs.link_CuperinApthesesRicercarCnsrtPhilippePierlt201288.224.part2.rar