Christian-Pierre La Marca – Cantus (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

The originality of this album’s programme is its focus on famous sacred pieces transcribed for the warm and lyrical voice of the cello, an instrument whose tone is certainly one of the closest to the singing voice. The words of the Magnificat, Requiem, Stabat Mater or Ave Maria – well known in the repertoire of vocal sacred music – fade here to better reveal the development of musical emotion aroused by the melody itself, and the subtlety of the accompaniments (organ, viola, theorbo, voice) in reinforcing and supporting the expressiveness of the singing. Inspired by sacred texts, the melodies by Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi and Pergolesi reveal the strength and intensity of their expression, even without words, and reinforce the idea developed from the late eighteenth century that music, by its power of suggestion and evocation, goes beyond words to express the unspeakable, sometimes with simplicity and depth. From Taverner to Thierry Escaich, and also Allegri, Handel, Franck and Fauré, the recorded repertoire covers a period from the sixteenth to twenty-first century and includes some of the most important names in sacred music.

Tracklist:
1-01. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs – Magnificat en mi bémol majeur, BWV 243a: “Deposuit potentes” (01:55)
1-02. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs;Elizabeth Geiger – Requiem en ré mineur, Op. 48: “Pie Jesu” (03:39)
1-03. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs;Zefira Valova – Passion selon Saint-Matthieu, BWV 244: “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” (06:09)
1-04. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs – Funeral Ikos (03:24)
1-05. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs;Adrien La Marca – Magnificat en ré majeur, BWV 243: “Et Misericordia” (03:02)
1-06. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs – Agnus Dei pour choeur et l’Adagio du quatuor, Op. 11: “Agnus Dei” (Arr. for Cello and Strings Quintet) (07:05)
1-07. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs;Adrien La Marca – Stabat Mater, P. 77: “Stabat Mater dolorosa” (03:54)
1-08. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Philippe Jaroussky;Thierry Escaich – Mass, Op. 12: V. Panis Angelicus (03:50)
1-09. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs – Stabat Mater, RV 621: “Eia Mater, fons amoris” (02:52)
1-10. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Thierry Escaich – Ave Maria (04:42)
1-11. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs – Stabat Mater, RV 621: “Stabat Mater dolorosa” (02:57)
1-12. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Patricia Petibon;Thierry Escaich – Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618 (02:45)
1-13. Christian-Pierre La Marca – Choral Prelude, BWV 639: “Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ” (02:42)
1-14. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs;Adrien La Marca – Dixit Dominus, HWV 232: “De torrente in via bibet” (03:13)
1-15. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Thierry Escaich – Prière, Op. 158 (05:50)
1-16. Alexis Kossenko;Les Ambassadeurs – Miserere mei Deus (Psaume 50) (06:01)
1-17. Christian-Pierre La Marca;Thierry Escaich;Patricia Petibon – Enluminures (05:00)