MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER
Charpentier: Médée Véronique Gens, Cyrille Dubois, Judith van Wanroij, Thomas Dolié, David Witczak Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet [ Alpha Classics / 3 CD - released 22/Mar/2024 ] Médée, a tragedy in a prologue and five acts on a libretto by Thomas Corneille, was Marc-Antoine Charpentier's first and last collaboration with the Académie Royale de Musique. The work was premiered on 4 December 1693, when Charpentier was exactly... |
BRUNEAU / FRANCK / GODARD / MASSENET / BIZET / etc
Véronique Gens - Visions Véronique Gens (soprano), Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Hervé Niquet [ Alpha Classics / CD - released 23/Jun/2017 ] "Gens and Niquet throw themselves into all this with an engrossing mix of abandon and restraint. Gens's trademark combination of purity of utterance and smoky tone speaks volumes." Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice, July 2017 |
JEAN-BAPTISTE LULLY
Lully: Armide 1778 (complete opera) Chantal Santon Jeffery, Katherine Watson, Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis / Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet [ Alpha Classics / 2 CD/Book - released 28/Aug/2020 ] Recording of the Month - BBC Music Magazine, November 2020 |
ORAZIO BENEVOLO
Benevolo: Missa Azzolina / Magnificat / Dixit Dominus Le Concert Spirituel; Hervé Niquet [ Naxos / CD - released 1/May/1996 ] "The voices of Le Concert Spiritual provide an impressive body of sound...An accompanying note by Jean Lionnet provides a helpful background." BBC Music "It's worth more than they're asking - at this price, you can hardly miss" Fanfare |
HECTOR BERLIOZ
Berlioz: Messe Solennelle Le Concert Spirituel / Hervé Niquet [ Alpha Classics / CD - released 8/Nov/2019 ] Composed in 1824 by Hector Berlioz at the age of twenty-one and premiered at the church of Saint-Roch in Paris in 1825, the Messe solennelle has come down to us following an eventful history. After Berlioz declared that he had destroyed the score,... |
JEAN-PAUL-EGIDE MARTINI
Martini: Requiem For Louis XVI Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet [ Château de Versailles / CD - released 24/Apr/2020 ] When it comes to his illustration of music at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Martini had more to show than Plaisir d'Amour alone. The Bavarian would rise to glory at the French court and enjoy a privileged position amon the sovereigns. |
JOSEPH BODIN de BOISMORTIER
Boismortier - Ballets de Village Le Concert Spirituel, Herve Niquet, conductor [ Naxos / CD - released 15/Jan/2002 ] "These ballets are delightfully un-serious stuff." |
NICOLAS CLERAMBAULT
Clerambault: Le Triomphe D'iris / Pastorale (1706) Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet [ Naxos / CD - released 1/Jan/1999 ] "This is delightful, hearty music. Naxos has made another valuable addition to the recorded repertoire at a price that even the most penurious collector can afford." American Record Guide |
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Saint-Saëns: Phryné (complete opera) Orchestre de l'opéra de Rouen Normandie; Chœur du Concert Spirituel; Hervé Niquet [ Bru Zane / CD/Book - released 11/Feb/2022 ] "Florie Valiquette is a winning Phryné, and Cyrille Dubois all that you could hope for in a French tenor as her beloved Nicias - their Act II duet deserves to be much better known." BBC Music |
MARIN MARAIS
Marais: Sémélé (complete opera) Shannon Mercer, Benedicte Tauran, Jael Azzaretti, Hjordis Thebault, etc / Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet [ Glossa / 2 CD - released 10/Mar/2018 ] "It's full of arresting, colourful music, much of it - not least the thrillingly vivid closing earthquake scene - worthy of Rameau, writing three decades on." (Sunday Times) |