François Couperin: L'Apothéose de Lully & Leçons de ténèbres

The pictorial movements of L’Apothéose are introduced by a reciter and all are well characterise with unnecessary exaggeration. Indeed, at times, the performance errs slightly on the side of... — BBC Music Magazine, July 2017, More…

Release Date: 28th Apr 2017
Catalogue No: CDA68093
Label: Hyperion

Record Review

13th May 2017

Recording of the Week

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Couperin, F: L'Apothéose de Lulli

01. Lulli Aux Champs Élisés

02. Air Pour Les Mêmes

03. Vol, De Mercure Aux Champs Élisés

Show 13 remaining tracks for Couperin, F: L'Apothéose de Lulli

04. Descente D'Apollon

05. Rumeur Souteraine

06. Plaintes Des Mêmes

07. Enlévement De Lulli Au Parnasse

08. Accüeil Entre-Doux, & -Agard

09. Remerciment De Lulli

10. Essai En Forme D'Ouverture

11. Air Léger

12. Second Air

13. Gravement

14. Saillie

15. Rondement

16. Vivement

Hide 13 tracks for Couperin, F: L'Apothéose de Lulli

Couperin, F: Leçons de Ténèbres

1 - 1. Incipit Lamentatio

1 - 2. Aleph

1 - 3. Beth

Show 15 remaining tracks for Couperin, F: Leçons de Ténèbres

1 - 4. Ghimel

1 - 5. Daleth

1 - 6. Heth

1 - 7. Jerusalem, Jerusalem

2 - 1. Vau

2 - 2. Zain

2 - 3. Heth

2 - 4. Teth

2 - 5. Jerusalem, Jerusalem

3 - 1. Jod

3 - 2. Caph

3 - 3. Lamed

3 - 4. Mem

3 - 5. Nun

3 - 6. Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Hide 15 tracks for Couperin, F: Leçons de Ténèbres

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L’Apothéose de Lully was Couperin’s hommage to his great musical predecessor and depicts the elder composer’s elevation to Mount Parnassus (where he plays duets with the shade of Corelli and, with Apollo’s blessing, effects a reconciliation between the contrasting French and Italian styles of the day). The Leçons de ténèbres were written for performance in Holy Week and demand—and here receive from Katherine Watson and Anna Dennis—vocal artistry of the highest order.

Reviews

July 2017

The pictorial movements of L’Apothéose are introduced by a reciter and all are well characterise with unnecessary exaggeration. Indeed, at times, the performance errs slightly on the side of restraint, although it is unfailingly beautiful and much aided by excellent lute and gamba continuo accompaniment…the breath control of Katherine Watson and Anna Dennis in the long melismatic lines is stunning

28th April 2017

The delightful scenario of L’Apothéose de Lully imagines the composer Lully, one of François Couperin’s forebears at the court of Louis XIV, being wafted up to Mount Parnassus by Apollo. There, he meets the Italian muses, and the music becomes that synthesis of the French and Italian styles which Couperin so admired. All of this is captured with grace in Arcangelo’s playing under its founder, Jonathan Cohen.

May 2017

Superb…allows us to marvel at the adaptability of Couperin’s music

4th May 2017

those pesky French quavers are played with such a delightfully relaxed shrug by harpsichordist Jonathan Cohen and his four Arcangelo musicians. But you need know nothing of that to enjoy the grace and immediacy of the playing, or the charm of the music.

classicalsource.com July 2017

François Couperin's L’Apothéose de Lully (1725) – described in the original French as a “Concert Instrumental” – is an intriguing work, effectively summing up the composer's artistic and aesthetic manifesto.

François Couperin: L'Apothéose de Lully & Leçons de ténèbres

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