The five Grands Motets assembled by György Vashegyi for this recording represent just a small sample of the work of Charles-Hubert Gervais – a composer who worked at the court of the young King Louis XV from 1723 onwards.
Given that they were the exclusive property of the king, Gervais' forty Motets were never published and have been preserved in their manuscript form in the Royal Library, where hundreds of other scores have been accumulated over the years. It wasn’t until 2021 that some of this rich music collection would finally be recorded and revealed to the public.
Gervais perpetuated the style of the great Versailles motet whilst simultaneously enriching it with the Italian influences that were popular at the time. His Motets enjoyed success throughout the Ancien Régime until 1792, both at the Chapelle Royale and the Concert Spirituel.
Recorded in 2021 at the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma in Hungary—which was adorned with baroque designs and extensions at the same time as Gervais was composing his music—these Grands Motets display the fruitful partnership between the Orfeo Orchestra and Purcell Choir (founded and directed by György Vashegyi) and the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, which was set up in 2014. This recording is bursting with grace and passion and features excellent Hungarian and French soloists. © François Hudry/Qobuz