Album

Mention French music of the late 17th century, and the adjectives that come to mind are the same ones associated with the Louis XIV: splendid, imposing, ritualistic. The music of the era was exemplified by Lully's tightly controlled dramatic compositions and by massive church compositions. Both types were composed by Michel Lambert (1610-1696), but there was another side to music of the Sun King's era, and Lambert specialized in that. The air de cour, or court air, was intimate, romantic, subtle: everything that that Lully opera was not. And Lully himself composed music for quieter occasions as well. With these factors in mind, the fine new Belgian group Musica Favola constructs a program that might have been heard in a 17th-century drawing room or at the outdoor concert depicted in the painting used in the album's graphics. The Lambert airs are real gems and have not been heard much before. Several are attractively gloomy romantic laments that show little operatic influence yet have real emotional intensity; sample Ombre de mon Amant (My Lover's Shadow, track 5). The vigorous dance rhythms coming from southern Europe show up in several of the Lambert pieces (try Dans nos bois Tircis aperçut, track 7), making for a snappy contrast with the more stately Lully instrumental pieces, several of them chaconnes, that are provided as interludes. The entire program holds together beautifully, presents almost unknown and immensely appealing music, and receives top-notch vocals from tenor and group leader Stephan van Dyck. The church sound is a little too precious for this music, which was meant for convivial settings, but this is nevertheless a major release in the French Baroque field.

© James Manheim, Rovi

CD 1
Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Trios pour le coucher du Roi, for 2 violins and continuo, LWV35 Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
1	Symphonie #1.	1:33			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Dedication to Monsieur de Niert, air for voice and theorbo Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Benjamin Perrot Theorbo
2	Dedication to Monsieur de Niert, air for voice and theorbo	1:44			$0.99
Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Trios pour le coucher du Roi, for 2 violins and continuo, LWV35 Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
3	Dans nos bois Silvandre s'escrie #1.	1:24			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Le Repos, L'Ombre, le Silence Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
4	Le Repos, L'Ombre, le Silence	5:10			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Ombre de mon amant Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
5	Ombre de mon amant	4:23			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Vos mespris chaque jour, air Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
6	Vos mespris chaque jour, air	5:26			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Dans nos bois tircis aperçut, air for voice and ensemble Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
7	Dans nos bois tircis aperçut, air for voice and ensemble	2:51			$0.99
Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Trios pour le coucher du Roi, for 2 violins and continuo, LWV35 Work 3:16 Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
8	Symphonie #2.	1:30			$0.99
9	Gavotte	0:37			$0.99
10	Menuet	1:09			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Pourquoy faut il belle inhumaine, air for voice and theorbo Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Benjamin Perrot Theorbo
11	Pourquoy faut il belle inhumaine, air for voice and theorbo	2:58			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Ma bergère est tendre et fidelle Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
12	Ma bergère est tendre et fidelle	3:23			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Superbes ennemis du repos de mon ame, air for voice and theorbo Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Benjamin Perrot Theorbo
13	Superbes ennemis du repos de mon ame, air for voice and theorbo	3:57			$0.99
Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Trios pour le coucher du Roi, for 2 violins and continuo, LWV35 Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Aline Zylberajch Harpsichord
14	La jeune Iris, Menuet	2:03			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Iris n'est plus, mon iris m'est ravie Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
15	Iris n'est plus, mon iris m'est ravie	3:24			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Que faites-vous, Sylvie? Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Benjamin Perrot Theorbo
16	Que faites-vous, Sylvie?	4:52			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Par mes chants tristes et touchants Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
17	Par mes chants tristes et touchants	5:31			$0.99
Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Trios pour le coucher du Roi, for 2 violins and continuo, LWV35 Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
18	Chaconne #1.	2:04			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer D'un feu secret je me sens consumer Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Benjamin Perrot Theorbo
19	D'un feu secret je me sens consumer	3:22			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Mes yeux, que vos plaisirs, air for voice and ensemble Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
20	Mes yeux, que vos plaisirs, air for voice and ensemble	3:38			$0.99
Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Trios pour le coucher du Roi, for 2 violins and continuo, LWV35 Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Aline Zylberajch Harpsichord
21	Dans nos bois Silvandre s'escrie #2.	1:47			$0.99
Michel Lambert Composer Doux charmes du printemps Work Stephan Van Dyck Tenor, Kaori Uemura Viola da Gamba, Benjamin Perrot Theorbo
22	Doux charmes du printemps	4:17			$0.99
Jean-Baptiste Lully Composer Trios pour le coucher du Roi, for 2 violins and continuo, LWV35 Work Stephan Van Dyck Conductor, Musica Favola Ensemble
23	Chaconne #2.	3:29			$0.99