Jean Gilles (1668-1705)
Messe des Morts (1697)
Domine Deus Meus, motet
Eugénie Lefebvre (soprano), Clément Debieuvre (tenor), Sebastian Monti (tenor), David Witczak (bass)
Les pages et les Chantres du centre de musique baroque de Versailles
Les Folies françoises/Fabien Armengaud
rec. 2022, La Chappelle Royal, Château de Versailles, FranceBooklet with full French text and English and German translations
Château de Versailles Spectacles CVS104 [63]
Among the recent discoveries from Versailles in-house recording label is this disc of the religious music of Jean Gilles, a composer of the early Baroque period in France that is most known for his Requiem Mass. According to the booklet notes which accompany this CD, Gilles who was born in the Provençal town of Tarascon, spent most of his professional career in Toulouse as music director of the cathedral there. The only surviving portrait of the composer shows and extremely handsome and sensitive looking young man; it is a pity that he died much too young, in his mid 30s.
The works on this disc are his most famous composition, Messe des Morts, accompanied by one of his Motets to round off the disc. The Requiem mass was reserved by the composer to be first performed at his own funeral in 1705. It has long been considered one of the most important of Requiems of the French baroque period. It served as the music for the funerals of at least two important monarchs, King Stanisław Leszczyński of Poland (who had taken refuge in France after the loss of his Kingdom) , and for the state funeral of Louis XV in 1774.
The Requiem is a work of elegance which borders on stateliness at times, that no doubt endeared it to the musical establishment of its period. On hearing it today, with the hindsight of the more disturbing Requiems of Mozart or Verdi in one’s ears, the Kyrie comes across as just too genteel , and therefore something of a letdown. This Requiem is almost half over before a more somber mood enters it at Domine Jesus Christe, which is more moving than most of what has preceeded it. Fabien Armengaud uses a small period orchestra to draw out some very lithe playing from the musicians. The choral work is excellent, though the soloists are not more than acceptably-competent. That is apart from the oustanding bass of David Witczak, who sings his lines with more star quality than the others.
Very little information is provided about the Motet, which appears to be receiving its first recording. The music trips along pleasingly in dance-like measures. There is an almost pastoral feeling at the Judica me, Domine in which the airy mood of the music seems to belie the gravity of the text. Interestingly, the opening Symphonie develops into a melody that is remarkably similar to Handel’s I know that my Redeemer liveth. Could Handel possibly have heard this and been inspired by it? Once again the shape of this music is crafted carefully by Armengaud and his forces, with the woodwind and string textures very well balanced. Ultimately this Motet feels as if God’s judgement is never too far from breaking out into infectious dance steps.
Mike Parr
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