Browsing through Early Music. Splendour and grandeur: the world of the Grand Motet. Episode 2/3.
The Grand Motet is a religious composition with a Latin text, for soloists, choir and a big orchestra. It is the most important religious music form in the 17th and 18th century and flourished under the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King and continued to be popular in the time of his successor, Louis XV.
The Grands Motets are usually based on a hymn and have a ceremonial character. Important composers of Grand Motets are Jean-Baptiste Lully, Marc Antoine Charpentier, Henry Desmarest and Michel–Richard de Lalande.
In this second episode: festive motets from Jean-Baptiste Lully and Henry Desmarest.
Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
1. Jubilate Deo, LWV 77/17
– Jubilate Deo omnis terra
– Reges terrae et omnes populi
– Arcum conterit
– Jubilate Deo omnis terra
– Taliter non fecit omni nationi
– Jubilate, in conspectu regis
Les Pages et les Chantres du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, Musica Florea de Prague conducted by Olivier Schneebeli
(CD Jean Baptiste Lully: Grands Motets. Harmonia Mundi K 61757)
Marin Marais (1656-1728)
2. From ‘Second livre de pièces de Violes’, Paris 1701:
– From Suite in E minor: Tombeau pour Mr. De Sainte Colombe
Susanne Bruaman, viola da gamba. Fred Jacobs, theorbo
(CD Marin Marais, Globe GLO 5122)
Henry Desmarest (1661-1741)
3. Te Deum de Paris:
– Te Deum Laudamus
– Te Dominum confitemur
– Te gloriosus
– Te per orbum
– Tu rex gloriae
– Tu ad liberandum
– Tu devicto mortis
– Te ergo quaesumus
– Aeterna fac
– Salvum fac populum tuum
– Dignare Domine
– Miserere nostril
– Fiat misericordia tua
– In te Domine speravi
Le Concert Spirituel conducted by Hervé Niquet
(CD Henry Desmarest – Te Deum de Paris. Glossa GCD 921607)
Image: Jean-Baptiste Lully
