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Caplet: Le miroir de Jésus / Arman, Munich Radio Orchestra
BR Klassik

Caplet: Le miroir de Jésus / Arman, Munich Radio Orchestra

$19.99

Details

Composer
Andre Caplet
Artist
Anke Vondung, Chor Des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Muenchner Rundfunkorchester
Format
CD
Label
BR Klassik
Released
Jan 20, 2023
Catalog #
BRK900342
UPC
4035719003420

About

Le miroir de Jésus (The Mirror of Jesus) for mezzo-soprano, women's choir, strings and harp, the last major work composed by the French composer André Caplet in the spring and summer of 1923 and based on fifteen poems by the French writer Henri Ghéon, was subtitled "Mystères du rosaire" (Mysteries of the Rosary). The mystical work, whose form and genre defy the usual categorizations, revolves around the most important stations in the life of Jesus, told from the perspective of the Virgin Mary and mirrored, as it were, in her gaze. Each of the three parts consists of an extended instrumental prelude and five episodes. The first begins with the Annunciation, recounts the Visitation of Mary, the birth of Christ and his time in the Temple of Jerusalem. The second part turns to the mysteries of pain: Jesus' scourging, the crown of thorns, the way of the cross and the agony, and finally his death. The last part reflects on the "Glorious Mysteries": Jesus's Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost and finally Assumption and Coronation.

A mezzo-soprano takes on the perspective of Mary. Occasionally the voice changes to recitation or even recitative, but the singing always serves the text, guaranteeing its comprehensibility and at the same time interpreting the words through musical means. Later, the choir introduces the respective poem titles and also emerges at a few points that are all the more significant: at the end of the first rosary, it reinforces the message of Ghéon's text with a Latin biblical quotation, and later on with eulogies such as "Sanctus" and "Alleluia". In "Le miroir de Jésus", Caplet found a musical form for the mysteries of the ancient passion story that brings together past and present into a peaceful synthesis.

REVIEWS:

Le Miroir de Jésus was André Caplet’s last major completed work, composed two years before his early death at the age of 46.

Caplet’s writing is precise and considered, and his accomplished use of melancholic presentiment – as in the Nativité of the First Part – possesses a simplicity, and yet a directness, that proves consistently compelling. His handling of what are deliberately reduced orchestral forces of strings and a harp reveals a master orchestrator. Incidents such as the rippling water evocations in the Présentation simply reinforce his command of impressionist-derived devices put to his own use.

Arman and the Munich Radio Orchestra catch the spare unisons in Part Two’s Prélude and they expand density over the final bars the better to explore the Gregorian implications of the succeeding Agonie au Jardin. Over this section one encounters reflective lyricism and much beauty as well as terse, jagged writing in the scene where Christ is crowned with thorns.

The richness and variety of his imagination is palpable throughout and in the Prélude to Part Three Arman ensures that Caplet’s presaging of elements of minimalism is clear even as Caplet generates a halo-like subtlety after the Resurrection scene. The spiritual intensity reaches a transcendence and moving intensity, the women of the choir of Bavarian Radio exuding exultant echo effects as the work draws to a close, Vondung both speaking and then singing rapturously with choral support.

The performance is beautifully balanced and is taken from a live performance in the Herz-Jesu-Kirche, Munich – not that one would know it’s live, as there’s no audience noise audible. Vondung is a splendid exponent, as she has proved in Baroque Passions and cantatas on disc, whose mezzo provides a sympathetic and rich-voiced conduit both for Ghéon’s texts and for Caplet’s richly varied, spiritually charged music.

Arman paces the work perfectly drawing out its radiance as well as its ethereal beauties, and – occasionally – its more harmonically astringent elements.

There’s a good booklet and full texts are provided in French with German and English translations.

-- MusicWeb International

Tracklist 18 tracks

  1. 1 Miroir de joie: Prélude 07:04
    Track
    1
    Title
    Miroir de joie: Prélude
    Duration
    07:04
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  2. 2 Miroir de joie: Annonciation 02:24
    Track
    2
    Title
    Miroir de joie: Annonciation
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  3. 3 Miroir de joie: Visitation 02:13
    Track
    3
    Title
    Miroir de joie: Visitation
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  4. 4 Miroir de joie: Nativité 02:54
    Track
    4
    Title
    Miroir de joie: Nativité
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  5. 5 Miroir de joie: Présentation 02:51
    Track
    5
    Title
    Miroir de joie: Présentation
    Duration
    02:51
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  6. 6 Miroir de joie: Recouvrement 03:41
    Track
    6
    Title
    Miroir de joie: Recouvrement
    Duration
    03:41
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  7. 7 Miroir de peine: Prélude 04:42
    Track
    7
    Title
    Miroir de peine: Prélude
    Duration
    04:42
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  8. 8 Miroir de peine: Agonie au jardin 03:26
    Track
    8
    Title
    Miroir de peine: Agonie au jardin
    Duration
    03:26
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  9. 9 Miroir de peine: Flagellation 02:24
    Track
    9
    Title
    Miroir de peine: Flagellation
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  10. 10 Miroir de peine: Couronnement d'épines 03:02
    Track
    10
    Title
    Miroir de peine: Couronnement d'épines
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  11. 11 Miroir de peine: Portement de croix 03:36
    Track
    11
    Title
    Miroir de peine: Portement de croix
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  12. 12 Miroir de peine: Crucifixion 03:30
    Track
    12
    Title
    Miroir de peine: Crucifixion
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  13. 13 Miroir de gloire: Prélude 03:16
    Track
    13
    Title
    Miroir de gloire: Prélude
    Duration
    03:16
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  14. 14 Miroir de gloire: Résurrection 03:01
    Track
    14
    Title
    Miroir de gloire: Résurrection
    Duration
    03:01
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  15. 15 Miroir de gloire: Ascension 03:03
    Track
    15
    Title
    Miroir de gloire: Ascension
    Duration
    03:03
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  16. 16 Miroir de gloire: Pentecôte 02:27
    Track
    16
    Title
    Miroir de gloire: Pentecôte
    Duration
    02:27
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  17. 17 Miroir de gloire: Assomption 02:00
    Track
    17
    Title
    Miroir de gloire: Assomption
    Duration
    02:00
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman
  18. 18 Miroir de gloire: Couronnement au ciel 05:00
    Track
    18
    Title
    Miroir de gloire: Couronnement au ciel
    Duration
    05:00
    Composer
    André Caplet
    Performer
    Anke Vondung
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Howard Arman