Beata es Maria is made up primarily of vocal music in praise of the Virgin that features three men's voices, a counter tenor, tenor, and bass. It's an especially attractive ensemble, and Charpentier, who is known to have sometimes sung the tenor parts, knew how to make the vocal lines terrifically appealing. The Magnificat that opens the album beautifully illustrates his skill in taking a much-used convention -- the chaconne, with a harmonic progression that (the composer reports) repeats 89 times -- and keeping it endlessly intriguing with his inventive handling of the voices. The piece, while sounding fresh and original, calls to mind two other chaconnes, Monteverdi's madrigal, Lamento della Ninfa, whose harmonic scheme it follows, and the men's trio in the opening scene of Philip Glass' Satyagraha, which it almost spookily foreshadows. Counter tenor Vincent Lièvre-Picard, tenor Sébastien Obrecht and bass Jean-Manuel Candenot have pleasing, mellifluous voices well suited to the generous lyricism of Charpentier's melodies, and together they have a lovely blend. The vocal pieces are interspersed with instrumental music that Charpentier wrote for liturgical use. Early music ensemble Les Passions performs with attentiveness to the conventions of the French middle Baroque. The strings play with a tart, almost astringent tone that may not please listeners expecting the warmth of modern instruments. The authenticity of the tuning could also be a stumbling block for ears accustomed to equal temperament. The album should interest fans of Baroque vocal music, though, and any listeners willing to explore the novelty of Baroque tuning.
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