Hardouin: Complete Four-Part a cappella Masses, Volume One

Featuring

Timothy J. Krueger
St. Martin's Chamber Choir
Henri Hardouin

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Composition History

The only compositions by Hardouin published during his lifetime were the set of six a cappella masses recorded here, which were the initial offerings by a new Paris publisher named Bignon.

Composer Biography

Hardouin was appointed Maître de chapelle at Rheims Cathedral at the unusually young age of 22, reflecting his considerable musical talent.

Interpretation

The performers on this album chose to use 18th-century French Latin pronunciation, and researched the execution of ornaments with experts.

Composer Biography

Henri Hardouin, the composer, was accepted into the choir school of Rheims Cathedral at the age of eight, despite his humble beginnings as the son of a blacksmith.

Compositional Technique

Hardouin's masses include settings of 'O salutaris hostia' and 'Domine salvum fac Regem', which were not usual parts of the ordinary mass, the latter likely due to Rheims Cathedral's role in French coronations.

Interpretation

This recording is performed without any accompaniment, as the conductor believes Hardouin intended, despite a single manuscript source including a continuo part.

Compositional Technique

Hardouin's a cappella masses employ the stile antico, an anachronistic imitative polyphony model from the Renaissance, but also incorporate 'modernisms' like diminished seventh chords and dance-like sections.