Document

  1999
    March 1999
        Choral and song
                Lorenzani Sacred Choral Music.

Lorenzani Antienne a la Vierge. Motet pour l’elevation. Motet pour tous les temps. Dialogue entre Jesus et l’Ame. Motet pour les confesseurs. Litanies a la Vierge. Le Concert Spirituel / Herve Niquet.

Naxos (Super budget price) (CD) 8 553648 (63 minutes: DDD). Texts and translations included.

Paolo Lorenzani was a Roman-born composer who towards the end of the seventeenth century spent 16 years in France, where he tried to raise the profile of Italian music. In this he had little success, especially as in doing so he inevitably came up against the machinations of the tyrannical Lully; indeed their rivalry – hardly an equal one considering Lully’s power and influence – seems to have become quite acrimonious, and eventually Lorenzani returned to Italy to finish his days as director of the Cappella Giulia at the Vatican.

This disc – the only one of Lorenzani’s music currently in the catalogue – offers five of the grands motets for soloists, choir, violins and continuo which he published in Paris in 1693, plus a Litany of Our Lady for voices and continuo which he probably wrote when back in Rome. The lack of success the motets enjoyed at the time – for all that the King liked them and that they were very much in the French style – no doubt hastened Lorenzani’s departure, but listening to them now, musico-political distractions put aside, it is hard to understand why they should have failed; this is highly attractive music, easily on a par with that of some of the better-known grand motet composers of the time, and there is some clever responsiveness to text as well. In the Motet pour tous les temps for instance, ‘sing anthems, let the trumpets echo’ is met with celebratory dancing rhythms and followed by a tender reflection on the ‘lily of purity’ and the ‘flower of sanctity’, while at the end there is an excited clamour of mortals hurrying to praise the Creator.

The performances, too, are very enjoyable. Herve Niquet’s experience in this type of music pays off in a well-balanced and lithe ensemble, good stand-out solos, and an intelligent, quick-witted approach to the music’s interpretation. Lorenzani may not be a forgotten genius exactly, but his music is well worth unearthing. Lully has plenty to answer for.

LK



		Paolo Lorenzani was a Roman-born composer who towards the end of the seventeenth century spent 16 years in France, where he tried to raise the profile of Italian music. In this he had little success, especially as in doing so he inevitably came up against the machinations of the tyrannical Lully; indeed their rivalry – hardly an equal one considering Lully’s power and influence – seems to have become quite acrimonious, and eventually Lorenzani returned to Italy to finish his days as director of the Cappella Giulia at the Vatican.



		This disc – the only one of Lorenzani’s music currently in the catalogue – offers five of the grands motets for soloists, choir, violins and continuo which he published in Paris in 1693, plus a Litany of Our Lady for voices and continuo which he probably wrote when back in Rome. The lack of success the motets enjoyed at the time – for all that the King liked them and that they were very much in the French style – no doubt hastened Lorenzani’s departure, but listening to them now, musico-political distractions put aside, it is hard to understand why they should have failed; this is highly attractive music, easily on a par with that of some of the better-known grand motet composers of the time, and there is some clever responsiveness to text as well. In the Motet pour tous les temps for instance, ‘sing anthems, let the trumpets echo’ is met with celebratory dancing rhythms and followed by a tender reflection on the ‘lily of purity’ and the ‘flower of sanctity’, while at the end there is an excited clamour of mortals hurrying to praise the Creator.



		The performances, too, are very enjoyable. Herve Niquet’s experience in this type of music pays off in a well-balanced and lithe ensemble, good stand-out solos, and an intelligent, quick-witted approach to the music’s interpretation. Lorenzani may not be a forgotten genius exactly, but his music is well worth unearthing. Lully has plenty to answer for.