The Laudantes Consort
under Guy Janssens are now half way through their impressive
project to traverse a representative selection of Requiem
Masses, taking roughly one from each century. Their first
volume covered Ockeghem and Lassus (see
review). This
volume comprises examples from Campra and Michael Haydn.
There
will be
future volumes for Bruckner, Duruflé and Pierre Bartholomée.
This means that for each
Requiem the group must re-invent itself to suit the work
in question. On this disc the Requiems by Campra and
Michael Haydn are separated by less than a hundred years
but are divided by a world of differences in their performing
traditions.
Campra’s Requiem is of
uncertain date; commentators have advanced theories that
place its first performance anywhere between 1695 and
1732. It is written for three soloists (haute-contre,
taille and basse-taille), five part choir (dessus, haute-contre,
taille, basse-taille, basse) and orchestra of flutes,
strings and continuo. The piece is sung at a remarkably
low pitch ( A = 392 Hz) which was evidently traditional
for sacred music of this period.
The Laudantes Consort
have gone to some trouble to play Campra’s piece at the
correct pitch and with suitable instruments of the period.
They have also had to consider issues of ornamentation
and style. But regarding the choir they are still using
women on the top two lines. The biggest difference in
sound quality must surely be in the alto part. Given
the low pitch, haute-contre soloist Stephan Van Dyck
brings a very tenor-like quality to his part which is
inevitably missing in the choir when the women sing a
haute-contre part.
The performance is conveyed
in a consistently confident, stylish, period manner which
entirely convinces. Campra’s Requiem is a dignified,
moving piece which requires careful concern from the
performers to realise its potential. The Laudantes Consort
are entirely adequate to the task and create a performance
to which I will be entirely happy to return.
Soloists Stephan Van
Dyck, Ivan Goossens and Conor Biggs contribute some lovely
solos; Van Dyck and Goossens match their tone colours
and timbres in an entirely graceful and appropriate way.
When moving from the
Campra to Michael Haydn’s Requiem in C minor not only
does the pitch jump up to A = 430 Hz, but we make a stylistic
leap as well. Haydn’s Requiem was first performed in
1771 at the funeral of Archbishop Sigismund of Salzburg,
Mozart’s patron. Mozart was present at the funeral and
whilst we have no recorded comment from the 15 year old
composer the work must have made a great effect because
his own Requiem has a remarkable number of similarities,
both in general tone and in detail. Haydn’s work is worth
getting to know over and above the links with Mozart’s
Requiem. His is deeply felt and whilst it was ostensibly
written for the Archbishop’s obsequies, Haydn almost
certainly started the work at the beginning of 1771
when his daughter died shortly before her first birthday.
The Laudantes Consort
provide an entirely fitting performance. In terms of
style and speed, it seems that Janssens was at some pains
to distance the Haydn from the Mozart Requiem. His performance
is far livelier and far more articulated than the recent
performance from Robert King and The King’s Consort.
Janssens takes 34 minutes for the work compared to 40
minutes from Robert King. I found King’s performance
highly impressive when I first reviewed it and returning
to King’s disc, I remain impressed. King opts for a larger
orchestra than Janssens but with a smaller choir. King’s
speeds are slower than Janssens and this, combined with
the differences in the two groups’ articulations, means
that King’s performance is weightier, smoother and more
dignified; far closer to Mozart’s Requiem than Janssens
performance.
Both performances are
valid. The same goes for the soloists where King’s quartet
provide smoothness, English reserve and dignity whereas
Janssens’ quartet are more characterful. I prefer King’s
soloists (Carolyn Sampson, Hilary Summers, James Gilchrist
and Peter Harvey) but that is just personal preference.
Many people will find them too English sounding and may
well prefer Elka Janssens, Sandra Naze, Philp Defrancq
and Armout Malfliet.
The CD booklet provides
texts and translations for both works; essential as Campra
and Haydn set rather different selections from the Requiem
Mass. There is also a rather good series of short articles
about both works and their composers along with some
illuminating comments on the difficulties of realising
a performance of Campra’s Requiem. The performances are
stated to be
‘live recorded’ but there is no sign
of an audience so I presume that this slightly curious
term must mean that the pieces were recorded as live,
in single takes.
If you are not following
the Laudantes Consort’s Requiem odyssey - and you ought
to be! - then you may find the combination of Campra
(French high baroque) with Haydn (early Austro-German
classical) rather indigestible. Don’t be put off; the
two works make for an entirely absorbing disc. The engineers
have also left a reasonable gap between the two so that
the jump in pitch is not disturbing.
If asked to make a single
recommendation for Haydn’s Requiem in C minor, I would
go for Robert King’s recording. But this new disc from
the Laudantes Consort is entirely admirable and I would
still want it in my library. Not only does Guy Janssens
shed new light of Haydn’s Requiem but he and his group
provide an entrancing performance of Campra’s Requiem
as well.
Robert Hugill
Stephan
Van Dyck (haut-contre)*
