Leclair: Elite de bons mots by the Beggar's Ensemble
Introduction
Augustin Lusson already has a few albums out to feature his talents on baroque violin; I have a feeling this one is going to catapult his career in new places. I’ve so enjoyed getting to know him and another young French violinist, Théotime Langlois de Swarte, though a series of recent recordings. I am not sure a comparison here is very apt, but Lusson’s depth of style and creativity to me is in a league of its own.
No recording is perfect but this is a very special one that I think any baroque enthusiast would enjoy. I speak in more depth to several of the pieces included on this release.
Concerto in D minor, op. 7 no. 1
Lusson records both the first and second concertos from Leclair’s opus 7 collection, a pair set in D minor and D major. From the outset it’s clear that the Beggar’s Ensemble is going to approach this music differently from those who have recorded it before. There’s such a strong swagger to the music, especially ripe in the solo parts, that it’s likely to polarize the audience already familiar with these concertos. This feeling of “swing” I found so infectious that I don’t think I want to hear this music any other way. They seem to really get into the potential of so many phrases using dynamic emphasis, swells, and strong down beats that the comparison might be to playing it “straight” as three-dimensional to just two.
As I noted in my earlier review of Leclair’s violin sonatas by David Plantier, he was fond of making reference to pastoral sounds with the violin and we get some of that in the second movement. I enjoyed Lusson’s ability to provide us with different colors.
The third movement adopts a nearly-perfect tempo. We are treated to a nice slightly saucy presentation in the opening ritornello that can’t prepare us enough for the first big solo episode. It reeks of virtuosity and Lusson is up to the challenge.
op. 8 Chaconne; scored for two soprano instruments with basso continuo in G minor
This is a single movement from an ensemble piece originally scored for two violins or two flutes in the top roles. While The Beggar’s Ensemble is still a small orchestra, it’s an interesting approach to double up the violin parts. In a way it pairs well with the opening op. 6 piece; both are one-offs from Leclair’s music. Programmatically, I’d have preferred four concertos on one disc, but The Beggar’s Ensemble has adopted the guise of a concert instead, using these pieces, along with the Barrière C-minor cello sonata as contrast material to the main entr’acts of the concertos. Like many a chaconne, they tend to build up in complexity and energy over time while the compliant continuo players keep repeating the same bass. Leclair’s writing is more complex, however, than say, the repetitive bass in Pachelbel’s Canon. There is a lot of stereophonic effects between first and second violins; for what it’s worth, they do separate the sections across the left and right channels which I think is the way to play nice with your audience; the first violins however do sound more prominent, not to say louder. It’s hardly a fault but who is to say if Leclair envisioned these as equally strong voices. The dominant first violin section does have its own effect, treating the seconds, almost, as an echo.
I did compare this recording against the chaconne performed within the context of the whole 7-movement suite by Musica Alta Ripa from their 2012 recording on MDG Gold. This ensemble substitutes instruments in for more color. Without the booklet, I hear recorder and oboe in addition to the violins. MAR do push the tempo slightly and end up with quite a different-sounding result. To my own taste, I think they might have benefitted from slowing down more in sections; the addition of color with winds and the thin, pure sound of a solo violin is a nice sound.
Both are well done. Lusson and the Beggar’s Ensemble have simply added a new tone knob to our stereo systems that goes beyond bass and treble; they’ve left it turned up with more dynamic shaping and swagger.
Barrière: Sonata no. 6 in C minor for cello and basso continuo
This particular sonata for me speaks to my general impression of Jean-Baptiste Barrière, who wrote deep-toned music meant for the night. Whether that was in a private chapel lit by candlelight, or within my listening room after 9 p.m., who is to say, but this music stirs the registers of the chest in ways other music does not. It’s four movement format in slow-fast-slow-fast isn’t atypical. François Gallon presents all the requisite style that Lusson used in his solo playing which stylistically is satisfyingly consistent.
The second movement contains a rather martial passage with dotted rhythms that is played very technically well; the tightness of the ensemble here, along with the harmonization of thirds with the bass instruments is satisfying beyond measure.
This piece was included in my first exposure to Barrière with Les Basses Réunies featuring Bruno Cocset. A direct comparison reveals a welcome change in soundfield; there’s more air and perhaps we might say more top-end frequencies audible in the 2001 recording on Alpha. Cocset’s approach with the second movement pushes the tempo. It’s a technical tour-de-force. As enjoyable as his recording is, I like the way Gallon stays on top in the texture. I also like his wider gamut of expressive colors.
Cocset’s treatment of melody in the Largetto is sublimely beautiful, which is enhanced, I feel, by the use of organ in the continuo. The quiet effect is mimicked in part by applying a stop on the harpsichord in the Beggar’s Ensemble recording. The flavor achieved is very different in their pushing of the tempo and the phrasing fools me into thinking that the piece under Gallon could potentially be, in parts, improvised. The playing has more rubato, more freedom.
Barrière in my view welcomes the early morning sunlight in his final Gigue; he switches to the major mode, depicting someone giguing-out of bed to welcome a new day. They picked a very interesting piece; if you could only pick one by Barrière, I think they did well to highlight his music to a potentially larger audience.
Concerto in G minor, op.10 no. 6
Very strong direction on top; shape to every phrase. Miked close, can hear players breathing. Nice forward bass presentation. Not too rushed, the almost leisurely sense of time works in their favor to capitalize on rhetorical gestures; the ensemble seems to play in flashes of bright light against quieter shadows with special ability.
rubato choices taken with phrasing that would be difficult with a large ensemble. Style is engaging. Soloists’s high register never squeaks; instead it reveals a superior quality of his violin. Their style of playing is quite stylish; I don’t want the piece to end. Each solo episode is set up as if the stage lights go down and a spotlight is put onto the Lusson. Leclair infuses each episode with different athletic challenges for the performer.
I know some listeners may consider the playing style adopted by The Beggar’s Ensemble to be quite extrovert and even “Italian flash” however their strong voice makes something quite dramatic out of the third movement of the op. 10 concerto. There is at least one case in this movement that I felt the tempo slows a bit; when the full ensemble comes in, it gets pushed a little back up to something I think is more reasonable. It’s the only technical criticism I can bring to the group’s playing; Lusson’s playing in both the lower and higher registers is enjoyable; there are a few times with significant bow pressure I feel for the instrument but again, I find this approach so refreshing and deserving for the flavor of Leclair’s inventive themes.
Final Thoughts
As someone who almost exclusively feasts upon baroque music for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a consumer, my eye is on this recording for being one of the most exciting releases of the year. I’ve long admired Leclair’s music but I feel that under the direction of Augustin Lusson that the Beggar’s Ensemble got underneath the notes on the page and tried reconstituting the soul of this music in a way that hasn’t been done before. Whether the stylistic result is in your taste remains to be seen, but for me it’s among the most exciting stuff to go through my ears in a long time.
Bravo!
