2 Croix

Founded in 1906, Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix des Bois (Little Singers of the Wooden Cross) are renowned as one of the world's most established children's choirs. Founded by Paul Berthier and Pierre Martin, two students on vacation at l'Abbeye de Tamie, the Paris-based traveling choir broke tradition with its lack of affiliation to a particular parish or cathedral. Directed by Father Fernand Maillet, they soon developed an international presence thanks to performances at the Vatican and an appearance in the 1945 film La Cage aux Rossignols, and continued to remain active throughout the 20th century, with singer/songwriter Matthieu Chédid, Les Prêtres' Charles Troesch, and Olympic rowing champion Adrien Hardy among some of their famous former members. By its centenary year, which was celebrated by a France2 show featuring duets with the likes of Tina Arena, Lara Fabian, and Nolwenn Leroy, the choir school had developed into a full-time educational institution, combining regular studies with a global touring schedule.

François de Bedos de Celles (1709-1779), described as a "monk of notable erudition," was also a highly trained and supremely talented builder of organs in eighteenth century France. The greatest of his organs was Dom Bedos, built for the abbey of Saint-Croix in Bordeaux – a glorious instrument with rich blends and subtle colors, with nuanced balances and stark contrasts, with whispering pianissimos and roaring fortissimos. Leonhardt's chosen program opens with the organ extracts from François Couperin's Messe propre pour les couvents, deeply devout music that Leonhardt performs with absolute command and complete dedication. The remainder of the program is a collection of works by better- and lesser-known composers, ranging from three Voluntaries by John Blow and two Toccatas by Georg Muffat to a Fantasia by Abraham van den Kerchkoven and a Chaconne by Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer, but Leonhardt performs all of them with total commitment and rapturous ecstasy. Alpha's sound is once again the omega of recorded sound.

Marcel Dupre - Organ Works, Volume 3 - Ben van Oosten (2002) {MDG 316 0953-2}
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© 2002 MDG | MDG 316 0953-2
Classical / 20th Century / Organ

Ben van Oosten is a gifted organist; of that there is no doubt. He understands the art of registration deeply, and is especially adept with the Cavaille-Coll tradition. This recording was the basis for my own study of Le Chemin de la Croix, and I profited considerably from it.

Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations - Haydn - Les sept dernières paroles de notre Rédempteur sur la Croix (1991) {Astrée ES 9935 rel 1999}
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© 1991, 1999 Astrée / Naïve | ES 9935
Classical / Viennese School / Sacred

In the semi-darkness within a grotto beneath the church of Santo Rosario in Cadiz, the bishop pronounced one of the seven Last Words of Christ, then, during the ensuing silence, the orchestra played… Commissioned from Haydn in 1786, these seven mystical sonatas, with their sombre melody, take their inspiration from the rhythm of each of the seven Words. Preceded by a noble Prelude and followed by an impressive Terremoto (Earthquake), there have been various versions (piano, string quartet, vocal), but here they are presented in the original version and with all the glowing colours of the Concert des Nations.

Haydn's "The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross", originally written for orchestra, has undergone numerous adaptations, from oratorio to string quartet. Benoît Haller and Guillaume Humbrecht now present a version for string and vocal quartet. The new arrangement required some changes in the vocal parts, as well as the transcription of the second introduction for string quartet instead of wind ensemble. The eight musicians of the Chapelle Rhénane and the Quatuor 1781 perform the transparent "new creation" with great enthusiasm and attention to detail.