Galilei Consort & Benjamin Chenier - Giovanni Rovetta: Messe pour la Naissance de Louis XIV (2016)

To create a sense of the Venetian liturgical celebrations attendant on the birth of Louis XIV in 1638, Benjamin Chenier and the Galilei Consort have constructed a sumptuous performance from various works composed by Giovanni Gabrieli, Giovanni Rovetta, Giovanni Antonio Rigatti, Claudio Monteverdi, and Giovanni Bassano. Rovetta had been chosen by Louis XIII to assemble the singers and instrumentalists, and his Kyrie, Gloria, and Credo from the Messa e Salmi Concertati form the core of this historical simulation, which is completed by a Sanctus and Agnus Dei by Rigatti, and various instrumental pieces and motets. This lavish, historically informed program is an attempt to represent the various elements of a solemn high mass for a great occasion, though Rovetta's actual program seems to have been lost to history. Stylistically, though, Chenier and his musicians do a fine job representing early Baroque practices and Venetian protocols, and the combined selections make a convincing case for similar historic re-creations in this vein. Alpha's production values are extremely high, and the sound of this recording is astonishingly spacious while capturing all the fine details of the counterpoint with remarkable presence. Highly recommended. -- Blair Sanderson

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