Louis Marchand was born in Lyons in 1669. The pieces for organ in his first Book constitute his signature, his style being indeed so personal and his harmonies so audacious.
Only to quote some of the pieces situated off the beaten tracks: the majestuous full chorus with six voices and a double pedal which opens the first book, the audacious which mischeviously dialogs with the recit in « Cornets de recit » and the Quatuor, one of the most beautiful in the French production in the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century which are pieces of music which attract the listener at once.
Although it was initially not planned for a precise occasion -just like Hymns and Masses by Grigny or Couperin-, Marchand's music was there to serve the art of improvisation: only about ten pieces were expressly made for a Te Deum. From the meeting between Jean-Yves Hameline, Jean- Yves Haymoz and Bernard Coudurier was born the idea of reviving the complete work that we know, integrating it to contemporary plainsong, Monsieur de La Feillée's. Indeed, La Feillée's examples show how the story of the French motets is intimately linked to plainsong and liturgy. This way, using a set of pieces for organs by Marchand, Jean-Yves Haymoz restored an office -constituted with the hymn Iste Confessor, one Magnificat, one motet « Exultate Deo » and two Respons, Venient and Manus Mea »- a mass-a musical mass « Messe du Premier Ton », with two parts and many reciting voices with choruses- and one te Deum, organizing the choices of Verses so that their musical forms, and consequently, their registrations and tonalities were matched with the meaning of the sung verses.
To sum it up, it is a premiere which pays tribute to François de le Feillée and Louis Marchand, named without any competitive examination organist in the Royal Chapel by louis XIV in 1708.
The ensemble Altertim presents some verses with two organal voices in an improvised counterpoint, which replaced the Gregorian, in the tonal context of the eightteenth century. JP Fouchécourt proposes a very ornamented, and really astonishing version of the Magnificat. Add to this the remarkable timbres of the Organ emphasized by BC's brilliant and dynamic game, and you will have an brief survey of the richness of this set of records. A remarkable realization which renews deeply the vision of this music.
Repertoire
Basse de trompette, Livre I
Louis MARCHAND : Intégrale de l'oeuvre d'orgue et plain-chant baroque alterné
Bernard Coudurier à l'orgue historique du Couvent Royal de Saint- Maximin
Ensemble Alternatim, Plain-chant baroque alterné, direction Jean-Yves Haymoz
Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Taille
Helmut Schmitt, Serpent
BNL 112851 A&B
Sortie du nouveau CD : Florilegium, Danses baroques, Muffat - Fischer - Kusser, 4 mains