Dip Your Ears, No. 227 (Te Deum for the Successful Sacking of Freiburg)

Henry Madin, Te Deum pour le Victoires de Louis XV; Diligam Te, Domine D.Cuiller, Stradivaria, Les Cris de Paris Alpha

The liner notes start: “Henry Madin is and will remain famous for having [been...] sous-maître de la musique de la Chapelle du Roy.” Hold it right there. Madin is not famous in the least, he’s utterly unknown. However, if modern fame is in the cards for him, this recording will prove the catalyst! What a terrific discovery this French near-contemporary of Bach’s (1698-1748) proves to be. The Vice-Master of Music at Versailles (following Delalande in that position) served Louis XV and established himself as an expert writer of Grand Motets, the lavish, large chorus-employing form that Lully established and Rameau, J.J.De Mondonville et al. perfected. The massive 45+ minute Te Deum is an affirmative, glorious example of French baroque. With its timpani-whacking, trumpet-blowing glamour it’s reminiscent, briefly, of truly famous Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum.

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