Grigny intensely has the art of merging contraries. He is at the same time the greatest architect of organists during the « Age of Louis XIV »(the second half of the seventeenth century) and his most exuberant ornamentist-a musical merging of Hardoin-Mansart and Bérain
Radiant apotheosis of a syle which had matured, his work has all the signs of achievement. Let us not be surprised that none of his successors could outmatch or even reach such summits. » (Brigitte François-Sappey)
Nicolas de Grigny's musical language ventures off the beaten tracks: his polyphonies are very dense, the writing often includes five parts, like Lully and Delalande, the harmonic and contrapuntal texture is extremely daring, delightfully evolving in an ambiguous way between tonality and musical mode, a skilful rythmics and finally an agreeableness both archaistic and innovatory, his personal signature.
Grigny died aged 31 years old... Couperin wrote his two Masses when he was 22 years old... We remain astounded when we see the great talent of these young musicians!
What wouldn't we give to hear them extemporize!
« Cintegabelle, amazing in its beauty, sounds with a majesty and an astounding distinction. The spirit of the XVIIIth century blows with an « intuitive truthfulness » that convinces and charms the audience. Coudurier's Grigny is undeniably the one we were waiting for. »
Diapason d'or/ Golden Diapason
« The exhilarating vitality, among others the ornamentation's, as well as the expressive inequality, only to tell about these, are models of freeedom, moving, as if they were naturally improvised, and this is all the more difficult to grasp such a strange style, demanding as much science as feeling and intuition, always with a perfect elegance. The alternation is entrusted to a seven-voices chorus – Alternatim- ,restoring with fervour the plainsong in the XVIIth century. A pure marvel. »
Guide de la musique ancienne et baroque/ Guide of the Ancient and baroque music
Pange lingua en taille à 4 . Récit du chant de l'hymne précédent
Nicolas de GRIGNY : Intégrale de l’oeuvre d’Orgue
Vol. II : Les Hymnes
Orgue de Cintegabelle
Plain-Chant baroque alterné : ensemble ALTERNATIM
Direction : Jean-Yves Haymoz
BNL 112813 DDD
Sortie du nouveau CD : Florilegium, Danses baroques, Muffat - Fischer - Kusser, 4 mains
Bernard COUDURIER