Cyril Auvity and L’Yriade make their debut on Glossa with a programme of airs de cour, 'Stances du Cid', ideally devised for the French haute-contre tenor’s voice.

17th-century France had an extraordinary enthusiasm for the air de cour: a secular song genre popular across the social spectrum and singable, it seems, by everyone from cobblers to marquises...

Even still, one distinctive voice which proved to be ideal for such airs was the haute-contre, a high tenor, sweet-sounding and clear; precisely the instrument possessed by Cyril Auvity, and it is no coincidence that the singer has, in recent years, been enjoying much success with his performances of the music of, among many others, Lully and Charpentier (the latter was an haute-contre himself).

'Stances du Cid' presents a selection of Charpentier’s secular vocal works, including the seldom-recorded stanzas (whose text is taken from Pierre Corneille’s tragicomedy Le Cid, which enjoyed great popularity for years after its 1637 première in Paris). The bucolic character of Charpentier’s other airs is complemented by a pair of airs de cour from an earlier master of the genre, Michael Lambert, and the expressive flavour of the music of ancien régime. France is suitably represented on this recording also by instrumental interludes taken from François Couperin’s trio sonatas 'Les Nations', deftly handled by L’Yriade.

In his booklet essay, Vincent Borel supplies a colourful defence, both of the potency of the air de cour and of its quintessential voice, the haute-contre.

L’Yriade:
- Léonor de Récondo, Charles-Étienne Marchand (violins)
- Elisa Joglar (cello)
- Marc Wolff (lute)
- Isabelle Sauveur (harpsichord)

Track listing:
François Couperin
1 Gravement (Les Nations, La Piémontaise)

Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Stances du Cid
2 Percé jusques au fond du cœur
3 Que je sens de rudes combats
4 Père, maîtresse, honneur, amour

Couperin
5 Passacaille (Les Nations, L’Espagnole)
6 Air, gracieusement (Les Nations, L’Espagnole)

Charpentier
7 Auprès du feu l’on fait l’amour
8 Ruisseau qui nourrit dans ce bois
9 Non, non je ne l’aime plus

Jacques Morel
10 Tombeau de Mademoiselle…

Michel Lambert
11 Ma bergère

Charpentier
12 Sans frayeur

Couperin
13 Gravement (Les Nations, L’Espagnole)

Charpentier
14 Rendez-moi mes plaisirs
15 Amour, vous avez beau redoubler mes alarmes

Couperin
16 Vivement et marqué (Les Nations, La Piémontaise)

Charpentier
17 Ah, qu’ils sont courts les beaux jours

Couperin
18 Air (Les Nations, La Piémontaise)

Charpentier
19 Rentrez trop indiscrets soupirs
20 Retirons-nous, fuyons

Lambert
21 Vos mépris chaque jour

Couperin
22 Chaconne (Les Nations, L’Impériale)

Reviews

Auvity’s flexible mastery of florid details and poetic declamation [is] adept throughout shifting contrasts between soft seductiveness (‘Ruisseau qui nourrit dans ce bois’) and indignant complaints (‘Non, non je ne l’aime plus’). Some accompaniments are richly textured by L’Yriade’s two violins, cello, theorbo and harpsichord, all of whom create sensitive textures and sensual rhythms as the music demands … The flowing sequence of songs and sonatas ticks along without time for pause, creating a musical journey that leads inexorably to the exquisite chaconne from ‘L’Impériale’. David Vickers

Gramophone March 2016

This is a desirable disc - one in which Auvity’s distinctive haute-contre amply conveys the emotions of these varied and beautiful airs. L’Yriade are excellent in their accompaniment … The sound is beautifully captured and well balanced … Glossa should be applauded for this release. Stuart Sillitoe

MusicWeb International March 2016