About six years ago, the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, with the support of Radio France, joined forces with the French National Museum Committee and FNAC Music Production to produce a series of recordings broadly titled ‘Music at Versailles’. Over 20 titles were issued before the project faltered, and the discs were gradually withdrawn. Now, this very interesting back catalogue, together with the responsibility for continuing the series, has been assigned to Virgin Classics. This is particularly good news for UK readers, since only a very few of the titles were ever widely available in Britain. Henceforth, let us hope that Virgin will reissue all the back numbers in the series.
Each year, the Centre de Musique Baroque at Versailles has been featuring a particular composer. In 1993 the focus was on Campra, who was active in the half century between the death of Lully, in 1687, and the performance of Rameau’s first opera, in 1733. Since its earliest recording, in 1960, under Louis Fremaux (Erato – nla), Campra’s Requiem Mass has enjoyed rapidly increasing popularity. Its translucency of texture and elegiac spirit have often been compared with Faure’s much better-known Requiem – indeed, in 1977 the two works were effectively juxtaposed in a BBC Prom in Westminster Cathedral. The other piece on the disc is a first recording of the Miserere (Psalm 50). Campra’s expansive setting of the penitential psalm is in ten effectively contrasted sections, of which the first has phrases of enormous eloquence and beauty. Each of the works is scored for a five-part choir, a four-part orchestra and a group of four soloists. The performances, under the direction of Jean-Claude Malgoire, are expressive and affectionate, if not invariably polished. Les Pages de la Chapelle sings robustly, producing a corporate sound in which the individual timbre of voices is refreshingly unsuppressed. There are strong contributions, too, from the three adult soloists. In spite of minor shortcomings, this is a programme well worth hearing; the music reminds us, time and again, that Campra was very far from being a mere ‘also ran’, and that his expressive language is both individual and affecting. Good recorded sound under the general supervision of the late Michael Garcin.'