Moulinié: Missa pro defunctis & Motets

While best remembered for his secular works - from refined court arias to lively drinking songs - Étienne Moulinié also represents a missing link between the polyphonic tradition of the Renaissance and the majestic sacred style of Louis XIV’s reign. A true forerunner of the French grand motet, he broke new ground by adopting the basso continuo, weaving in Italianate chromaticism, and infusing his sacred works with an emotional intensity previously reserved for secular music. His Requiem stands as a masterpiece of early Baroque fervor, brought to life here in its only recorded version - a sublime performance under the direction of Michel Laplénie.