More than any country in Europe France was a centralised state in
the 17th and 18th centuries. Paris was the capital and not only the
political centre of the country, but also a centre of science and
culture. This doesn't imply that outside Paris and the royal
court of Versailles nothing of any importance happened. It is only
relatively recently that musicians have paid attention to the music
of composers who worked elsewhere in France and hardly, if ever,
stayed in Paris or composed for the court. Their music isn't
always first-rate, but sometimes new names appear who turn out to
be the authors of excellent music. Pierre Bouteiller is one of
them.
There isn't much known about Bouteiller, not even the exact
years of his birth and death. He was born around 1655 and he is
known to have been director of music at the cathedral of Troyes in
Champagne in 1687. Seven years later he held the same post in
Châlons-sur-Marne. After a short stay back in Troyes he went
to Paris in 1698, where he established himself as a player of the
viola da gamba and other instruments. In 1704 a Te Deum by
Bouteiller was performed in Paris, but this work has disappeared.
It seems he didn't compose anything until his death in about
1717.
We do not know how much Bouteiller composed. What has come down to
us is the Requiem Mass recorded here and 13 'petits
motets', all of which were written during his time in Troyes.
As in other cases the main source for Bouteiller's music is the
large collection of musical manuscripts brought together by the
composer Sébastien de Brossard, to whom we also owe our
knowledge about Italian music performed in France in the 17th
century. He met Bouteiller in Châlons-sur-Marne in 1695 and
offered him a copy of his first book of motets. In return
Bouteiller "gave me this handwritten score, which I have
always held onto carefully, considering it one of the best that I
have".
The main work on this disc is a Requiem. Few masses were written in
France, and stylistically these were mostly rather old-fashioned,
composed in polyphonic style and modelled after Palestrina. This
Requiem Mass is no exception; there are however some traces of
baroque expression, for example in the Offertory, where Bouteiller
makes use of dissonance and a descending phrase to illustrate the
passage "(deliver the souls) from the pains of hell and the
bottomless pit". The Elevation 'Pie Jesu' is also
expressive. In smaller churches it wasn't uncommon to perform a
mass with whatever voices and instruments were available. On this
ATMA disc we get a small-scale performance, in which the five parts
are divided between the two voices and three viols. The problem
with this kind of performance is that the two singers seem to be
soloists, even though voices and viols blend rather well. I would
like to hear this work with a small vocal ensemble some day. The
music is definitely worth it.
It is perhaps due to the fact that Bouteiller was a professional
viola da gamba player that the 'petits motets' contain
parts for viols. It was very common in France to compose such
motets for a small number of voices with basso continuo and one or
two additional instruments. But the instrumental parts were usually
written in the treble range, to be played on violins, flutes or
oboes. Writing such parts for bass instruments as Bouteiller did
was very rare.
The motets recorded here are mostly related to the Eucharist, as
the titles show. The longest of the five motets is a little
different. It is an incitement to realise what is really important:
"Remember, remember, man, that you are mortal and shall to
dust return. Flee, flee the vanity of the world, flee pleasure,
flee blindness". It is here that we find most expression, for
example when it is explained what remains to man of all the worldly
pleasures. Bouteiller uses strong dissonances on the words
"nisi dolor, nisi luctus et maestitia" - except pain,
except sadness and affliction. The next line, "what has become
of laughter, jest, song, praise and vain glory", is depicted
by a lively rhythm.
If unknown music is performed the 'consumer' has to be
convinced that it is really worth listening to. The key to convince
them is an excellent performance, and that is exactly what we get
here. The interpretation by the two singers is ideal: they both
have beautiful voices with the kind of flexibility this music
needs, and they handle the texts - sung here in French
pronunciation - with great sensitivity. The expressive and dynamic
playing of the viols is a joy.
I am glad the music of Bouteiller has been rediscovered and
recorded. Wouldn't it be a good idea to record the remaining
motets by this French master?
Johan van Veen
Suzie LeBlanc, soprano (*); Stéphan Van Dyck, tenor (**)
