On July 2, the Concert Hall of Namur was devoted to one of the most intriguing programs of the Festival de Wallonie. The title alone, Requiem pour un Empire, piqued curiosity. Was it a requiem for a deceased emperor or a requiem for an empire? This question immediately formed the red thread of a carefully constructed concert in which history, politics and music continually met.
The program started from the death of Emperor Jozef I of the Holy Roman Empire in 1711. Because he died without a male heir, a complex political situation arose that would profoundly affect European power relations. The Festival de Wallonie used this event as a starting point for a fascinating musical reflection on power, death and succession.
The attention to musical life at the Habsburgse court also made an impression. Vienna in the early eighteenth century was not only a political superpower, but also one of Europe's most important musical centers. The Habsburgse emperors were fervent music lovers, patrons of composers and often active musicians themselves. Against this background, this program took on added significance.
The great discovery of the evening was undoubtedly Marc'Antonio Ziani (1653-1715). Although his name is barely known today, a considerable part of his oeuvre was preserved in the Viennese archives. Ziani worked first in Mantua and Venice before moving to Vienna, bringing strong Italian influences to the Habsburgse court. Influences from Monteverdi, Scarlatti and the Venetian tradition were clearly audible in his music.
The central work of the evening was his Requiem, completed shortly before the death of Jozef I. From the first measures, it was striking how strongly Ziani was rooted in the Italian style. His music sounds accessible, clearly structured and technically very refined. The compositional technique is impeccable, but at the same time everything remains very recognizable and predictable. The work develops logically and smoothly, without constantly surprising the listener with unexpected harmonic or dramaturgical turns.
Before the Requiem came the five-voice Lectio Secunda pro Defunctis, a work that immediately impressed with its powerful opening and restrained expressiveness. In the Requiem itself, several passages were particularly impressive. The Confutatis maledictis was performed with great determination and seemed to recall formulations that Mozart would later develop in his own Requiem. The Tuba mirum, too, with its fine interplay between voice and trombone, made a strong impression.
Notably, the missing Dies Irae from Ziani's score was replaced by a composition by Johann Joseph Fux. According to the introduction, the differences between the Italian and German-Austrian styles at the Viennese court were supposed to have been limited, but in practice this seemed less evident to this listener. Fux's Dies Irae sounded much more homogeneous, more powerful and more emotional. Where Ziani often remains elegant and refined, Fux dares to deploy stronger dramatics and contrast. For me it was one of the absolute highlights of the evening and once again confirmed why Fux became one of the most important composers of his time.
In addition to the vocal repertoire, the ensemble also performed two sonatas by Fux, for three and four voices. Particularly the sonata for four voices stood out for its virtuosity. The violinist who undertook the solo part had to deal with a technical problem with a string, but managed to professionally complete the work. It was a small incident that mainly showed how demanding this music is. Both sonatas were played without a conductor and formed convincing evidence of the exceptional ensemble playing.
The concert concluded with Ziani's substantial Stabat Mater. Here too, the Italian roots were abundantly evident, with dissonances and imitative voice-leading that frequently recalled Scarlatti. The work contains beautiful moments, although the score's length occasionally lost some tension. Some text passages, such as emisit spiritum, did not always receive the musical weight their content suggests from the composition.
Conversely, there were numerous highlights thanks to an excellent soloist team. Special mention goes to Czech soprano Dagmar Šašková and French soprano Capucine Keller. Both radiated a contagious pleasure in this music and visibly enjoyed every phrase they sent into the hall. Their voices contrasted beautifully, yet formed a homogeneous whole, making the solo passages some of the strongest moments of the evening. Especially in the more lyrical passages of the Stabat Mater, they managed to carry the music into the hall as it were.
French countertenor Paulin Bündgen also made a great impression. With remarkable finesse, careful phrasing and natural musicality, he gave his parts a special character. Even in the most restrained passages, his voice retained a natural presence and convinced through absolute vocal elegance.
French tenor Vincent Bouchot in turn formed an important driving force within the whole. Throughout virtually the entire concert, he provided constant impetus to the music. His singing gave direction and energy to the performance and helped maintain the arc of tension continuously. Towards the end of the evening, he seemed justifiably tired, yet visibly satisfied after a performance that demanded considerable vocal and physical engagement.
French bass Renaud Delaigue completed the soloist quintet with a warm, sustained voice that solidly grounded the ensemble. At various moments, he also added a subtle touch of theater to the music. Like the two sopranos, he knew how to give words and phrases added meaning, giving certain passages greater dramatic impact.
Les Traversées Baroques from Dijon confirmed itself as an ensemble to be closely watched. The musicians played with conviction, intensity and great commitment to the repertoire. Their earlier acquaintance with Ziani's music was clearly evident in the ease with which they brought this repertoire to life. Their enthusiasm for the rediscovery of this composer was contagious.
The Chœur de Chambre de Namur hardly needs further introduction. The ensemble has been among the absolute top of the Belgian music landscape for many years. With only ten singers, the choir was able to produce a rich and sustained sound that perfectly matched this predominantly five-voice repertoire. Notable was the role the choir played in this performance. The choir singers did not appear as an independent block opposite the soloists, but rather functioned as a refined reinforcement of the solo voices. This gave the vocal lines, where necessary, extra carrying power, depth and color. The result was a particularly homogeneous sound in which the boundary between soloist and ensemble often blurred.
Conductor Étienne Meyer led the whole with a calm but steady hand. His direct communication with the audience afterwards was a sympathetic conclusion. By briefly telling about the discovery of Ziani and the trajectory the ensemble had undertaken, he narrowed the distance between stage and hall and gave the audience additional insight into the project.
Requiem pour un Empire was ultimately much more than a concert alone. It was an intelligent combination of history, musicological research and artistic conviction. Thanks to the careful programming of the Festival de Wallonie, the excellent performances of the Chœur de Chambre de Namur and the passionate performance by Les Traversées Baroques under the direction of Étienne Meyer, this evening became a successful musical voyage of discovery.
The evening confirmed for me the genius of Johann Joseph Fux, but at the same time offered a fascinating introduction to Marc'Antonio Ziani: a composer who may not always be surprising, but who possesses impressive craftsmanship and, who knows, may have many undiscovered gems yet. If the merit of a festival is to give forgotten music a voice again, then Requiem pour un Empire was a particularly convincing example of that.
Performers: Les Traversées Baroques, Judith Pacquier & Étienne Meyer, Choeur de Cambre de Namur
https://www.lesfestivalsdewallonie.be/fr-be
https://www.traversees-baroques.fr/
https://cavema.be/fr/ensemble/2-choeur-chambre
photos: © Gabriel Balaguera