Cosset - Messe Super Flumina Babylonis (2001)

1.Introit - Rubum queviderat (Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers) 	2:19
2.Missa Super flumina Babylonis - Kyrie (François Cosset) 	4:09
3.Cantique (Etienne Moulinié) 	5:19
4.Missa Super flumina Babylonis - Gloria (François Cosset) 	6:28
5.Graduel (Pierre Bouteiller) 	4:04
6.Missa Super flumina Babylonis - Credo (François Cosset) 	9:09
7.Offertoire (Nicolas Clérambault) 	5:35
8.Missa Super flumina Babylonis - Sanctus (François Cosset) 	3:45
9.Motet O Dulcissime Domine - Élévation (Jean-Baptiste Lully) 	5:52
10.Missa Super flumina Babylonis - Agnus Dei (François Cosset) 	2:58
11.Motet Laudate Pueri - Communion (Jean-Baptiste Lully) 	7:59
12.Motet Laudate Pueri - Ite Missa Est (Jean-Baptiste Lully) 	0:39
13.Motet Pour Le Roy Domine (Jean-François Lalouette) 	2:25
14.Conduit Beata Viserere Mea (Anonyme)	3:35

Les Boréades Montreal:
Danièle Forget, Devon Wastle, Dominique Cousineau, Dorothéa Ventura, Éthel Guéret, Teresa van der Hoeven - soprano
Francis Colpron - recorders, traverso
Hélène Plouffe - violin
Susie Napper - viola da gamba
Hervé Niquet - conductor and organ

François Cosset (c. 1610-1664) composed a proportion of his music for performance in a convent. It is therefore scored for high voices, and this includes the present work - a polyphonic Missa Super flumina Babylonis for six high voices and small complement of period instruments. Interspersed among the Mass movements here are a number of ‘petits motets’ by Lully and others, also for soprano voices, along with a few instrumental pieces.

The works are performed by six soprano voices of the Montreal-based Les Boréades ensemble, with flute, recorder, violin, viola da gamba, all directed by Hervé Niquet at the organ. The Mass itself is a beautiful work, its melodic lines graceful and its high-voiced textures complemented very effectively by the instrumental accompaniment. The effect is greatly enhanced by the very well-judged performance, the singers in particular possessing pure, clear, steady voices with a strong resemblance to boy treble quality and their characteristic air of unsophisticated youth and innocence.

The other works also come off well, with an especially attractive Chaconne from Nicolas Clérambault (track 7) among them, but with some other pieces of lesser interest. Recording quality, in a Quebec church, is lovely, booklet notes are excellent, but there are no texts or translations. Altogether, this programme offers a distinct and enlightening departure from the usual baroque fare, and will certainly be of interest to enthusiasts of baroque sacred music in search of something a bit different. ---Stephen Midgley, amazon.com

François Cosset was a French composer. Born in Picardy around 1610, Cosset first worked in Saint-Quentin and in Laon before becoming director of music at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Reims. Apparently without leaving this position, he took on a like post at Notre-Dame in Paris, succeeding Jean Veillot in 1643. However, following criticism from Queen Anne of Austria concerning two flawed performances of a Te Deum in 1646, he returned to Reims, as indicated by a deed of 1650. Cosset wrote eight masses in 4, 5 and 6 parts published as of 1649 by Robert III Ballard; the last mass was published posthumously in 1673 under the title Missa sex vocum super flumina Babylonis. Few of these polyphonic masses were published after this date. ---grainger.de

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