Caplet: Le Miroir De Jesus

Marie-Claude Chappuis (mezzo-soprano), Quatuor Sine Nomine, Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne, Jean-Claude Fasel

Piano Concerto Op.60

André Caplet is probably best known today for his work as Debussy's orchestrator. However, he was also a fine composer in his own right, beating out none other than Maurice Ravel when he won the Grand Prix du Rome in 1901. A deeply religious man, Caplet focused his compositional efforts on sacred music. Le Miroir de Jésus is his spiritual masterpiece. The work, a setting of poems by Henri Ghéon, is fashioned after the Rosary, cast in three sections devoted to Jesus's birth, passion and resurrection. Its orchestration is quite unusual, with a mezzo-soprano soloist (Marie-Claude Chappuis), accompanied by a female chorus (Ensemble Vocal Lausanne), harp (Anne Bassand) and string quartet (Quatuor Sine Nomine). With this innovative work, Caplet is revealed as an important transitional composer between Debussy and Messiaen.

Price: $23.98