Méhul – Le Chant du depart
Les Jacobins; Mathieu Lussier
ATMA ACD2 2659
Etienne-Nicolas Méhul — now there’s a name we don’t encounter all that often these days! But if you were an enlightened citoyen and a patron of the arts during those stormy days following the French Revolution, his name would probably have been quite familiar. Born in Givet in 1763, Méhul is now regarded as the first French Romantic composer, his operas enjoying considerable acclaim from the 1790s until the first decade of the 19th century. Today, his music has fallen undeservedly into obscurity, but what better way of re-introducing it than through this delightful ATMA recording of woodwind arrangements titled Le Chant du départ performed by the Montréal-based ensemble Les Jacobins under the direction of Mathieu Lussier?
Comprising Quebec’s top woodwind and brass players, Les Jacobins is a group of variable size that comes together to explore the little-known music of the French Revolutionary period. And what a wonderfully resonant sound they produce! The eight members delive r a thoughtful and well-balanced performance of these fine arrangements, all of which capture the dramatic intensity and orchestral colour of the original scores. Included on the disc are several of Méhul’s operatic overtures, including Mélidor & Phrosine, Joseph and La Chasse du jeune Henri. The CD also contains a number of patriotic songs for which Méhul was renowned, his most famous being Le Chant du retour, spirited music from 1797.
For those who look upon arrangements with slight disdain, it must be remembered that operatic overtures, arias and patriotic songs were frequently popularized by small woodwind ensembles in the same manner as Mozart’s Harmoniemusik. Hence, Les Jacobins has not only succeeded in recreating a sound from the streets of revolutionary Paris, it has also brought to light repertoire that definitely deserves greater recognition. Grands felicitations for some splendid music making!
