Meurtes au Potageur du Roy

Because authentic Baroque performance practices have become so widely accepted, the appearance of Bernard Labadie's excellent 2007 recording of George Frideric Handel's Water Music might not seem exceptional; the use of period instruments by his superb chamber ensemble, Les Violons du Roy, might not seem extraordinary to anyone who has heard recordings of eighteenth century music since the 1980s.

The gorgeous early music releases of France's Alpha label, each illustrated with a relevant painting along with discussion of both the music and the artwork, offer a splendid introduction to the culture of the ancien régime. The discussions get down to the kind of depth that academics traffic in, yet the performances are by and large sensuous ones entrusted to some of France's best historical-instrument ensembles.

In their very first recording together, pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin and the Violons du Roy present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s piano concertos No. 22 and No. 24 that are replete with passionate outbursts, startling contrasts, rich orchestration and overt emotional fervor. Charles Richard-Hamelin, Silver medalist and winner of the Krystian Zimerman award at the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, impresses with his extremely refined playing and the Violons du Roy, under the direction of Jonathan Cohen, offer grandiose performances imbued with dignity and grace.

The glorious voices of Karina Gauvin and Daniel Taylor and the refined playing of Les Violons du Roy will resound wonderfully thanks to this hybrid SACD–Surround/Stereo recording, bringing to life Bach’s little-known homage to Pergolesi: the motet “Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden” after the Italian composer’s famed Stabat Mater. As always with Bach the transcriber, he didn’t simply copy the original work wholesale, but carefully adapted it to its new German and Lutheran text (Psalm 51), enriching for example the basso-continuo and adding an independent viola part.

This is an ATMA Classique reissue of one of Les Violons du Roy’s seminal discs: the orchestra’s 2002 Dorian label recording of Mozart’s Requiem as revised and completed by Robert D. Levin. The recording won the JUNO® Award for Best Classical Album of the year in the Vocal or Choral Performance category. Founding conductor Bernard Labadie brought Les Violons du Roy and its the fifteen member core together in 1984. The ensemble specializes in the vast repertoire of music for chamber orchestra, performed on modern instruments but in a stylistic manner most appropriate to the work’s era.

ATMA Classique presents Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations in an arrangement for strings and continuo by Bernard Labadie, performed by Les Violons du Roy under Labadie’s baton. This recording was originally released on the Dorian label in 2000.

La Simphonie du Marais under their director Hugo Reyne are terrific. They bring this music alive with such stylish performances that bring fine textures, variety, colour and often some exotic moments, Hugo Reyne knowing just how to lift these suites to reveal every fine moment … These performances remain the benchmark.

It is not easy for a classical recording to truly inspire these days. This one does. Seeking common ground between the music of Friedrich Haendel and Philip Glass, Anthony Roth Costanzo alternatively sings works by the two composers in his beautiful raw soprano voice. He is accompanied by the early music Essemble Les Violons du Roy. Costanzo has created a musical unity that carriers the listeners with ease between the acoustic emotions of the Baroque and the Modern. A magnificent and moving recording.