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Michel-Richard De Lalande (1657-1726)

"If Lalande's stage music was unpretentious and largely conformed to inherited Lullian models, the same cannot be said of his 77 grands motets (of which 65 survive in score), which mark the apogée of the genre, and served as the yardstick by which all such works composed before or after were measured. They are distinguished by a remarkably subtle response to the texts, and writing for both voices and instruments that always demands sensitivity to phrasing, and often, virtuosity. Among his generation, Lalande was the most skilled of contrapuntists, and he also exploited the extended harmonic palette inherited from Charpentier." Lionel Sawkins, A Thematic Catalogue of the Works of Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726). Introduction, page 3 (pdf).

Sawkins v. Hyperion Records Ltd., [2004] EWHC 1530 (Ch). Hyperion was held liable for breach of copyright in an action brought by Lionel Sawkins, who prepared performing editions of four De Lalande works for performances by Ex Cathedra recorded on Hyperion CDA 67325, but was not paid appropriate copyright royalties for his work. In light of the relevant authorities discussed by the court and the uncontested facts of the work done by Sawkins to produce performing editions, the result is unremarkable. There simply was no legal support for Hyperion's position.

Notwithstanding, Hyperion appealed, and the trial court's decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeals. Each of the three appellate judges wrote a separate opinion, reported at: [2005] EWCA Civ 565. The opinions are well-written and quite interesting. Dr. Sawkin's website contains a concise summary of the relevant facts and law. Contrary to the British newspaper and magazine articles that parroted Hyperion's self-serving press releases, the Sawkins case breaks no new ground and will have negligible impact on the music business, which for the most part follows the advice of IP lawyers on copyright law issues.

In addition, on 19 January 2005, Sawkins obtained a judgment against Harmonia Mundi and other defendants in the French courts for damages for copyright infringement. Excerpts from Harmonia Mundi HMC 901352 (1992), the recording of Philippe Herreweghe's performance of Sawkins' editions of Lalande's Miserere à grand Coeur and Dies Irae, were used in a French television film, L'Allée du Roi, without paying Sawkins the requisite copyright fee. Details.

CMBV Colloque 2001: Michel-Richard De Lalande

Recent Recordings

François Couperin & Delalande. Leçons de Ténèbres. BIS CD-1575 (1 CD, January 2008). Emma Kirkby, soprano; Agnes Mellon, soprano; Charles Medlam, bass viol; Terence Charleston, organ. US | UK | FR | DE | CA | JP

De Lalande. Les Folies de Cardenio (1720). Details. La Borie LC01 (1 CD, April 2006). Christophe Coin, Ensemble Baroque de Limoges. US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP

De Lalande. Music for the Sun King: Te Deum; Venite Exultemus; Panis Angelicus from Sacris Solemnis; La Grande Pièce Royale. Hyperion CDA 67325 (1 CD 2002.) Jeffrey Skidmore, Ex Cathedra. The recording that gave rise to Lionel Sawkins' suit for copyright infringement. US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP

De Lalande. Leçons de Ténèbres et Oraisons Funébres. CD2: Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627-1704). Sermon sur la mort (Carême de 1662). Alpha 030. (2 CDs 2002). Vincent Dumestre, Claire Lefilliâtre, Le Poème haromique. US | UK | DE | FR | JP

De Lalande. Grands Motets. Virgin 545 531-2. (1 CD 2002). Details. Olivier Schneebeli, Les Pages & les Chantres de Versailles. Jean-Claude Malgoire, La Grande Ecurie & la Chambre du Roy. Salomé Haller, Damien Guillon, Howard Crook, Hervé Lamy, Alain Buet. Beati quorum remissae sunt, Quam dilecta, Audite caeli, Deitatis majestatem. US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP

Recommended Recordings

De Lalande. Grands Motets: Deus Noster, Refugium, S.54; Exaltbo te, Dominum, S.56. Pierre du Mage (1676-1751), Suite du Premier Ton. Opus 111, OPS 30-217. (1 CD 2001). Martin Gester, Le Parlement de Musique. Stéphanie Révidat, soprano; Stephan van Dyck, haute-contre; Thomas van Essen, tenor; Alain Buet, bass. La Maîtrise de Bretagne, Jean-Michel Noël, Direction. Jean-Boizard organ (1714), Abbaye de Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache. An outstanding recording of two of the best Delalande grands motets recorded to date, plus exceptional, unknown organ music played on perhaps the finest French baroque organ. US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP

De Lalande. Leçons de Ténèbres (1730). Astrée E 8592 (1 CD 1996). Isabelle Desrochers, soprano; Mauricio Buraglia, theorbo; Nima Ben David, bass viol; Pierre Trocellier,  harpsichord & organ. This is one of the finest tenebrae programs I have heard. The three surviving Leçons by De Lalande are interspersed among tombeaus for viol, theorbo, and harpsichord respectively by Marais (Lully & Sainte-Colombe), de Visée (his daughters) and Louis Couperin (Blancrocher). Isabelle Desrochers sings with a clear, pure tone and excellent diction. Highly recommended! US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP Reissued on Naïve E8913 (April 2007). US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP

De Lalande. Regina coeli, S.53; De Profundis, S.23; Cantate Domino, S.72. ASV GAU 141 (1 CD 1995). Jeffrey Skidmore, Ex Cathedra. Elizabeth Cragg, Helen Groves, Margaret Langford, Carolyn Sampson, sopranos; Paul Agnew, haute-contre; Steven Harrold, tenor; Robert Clarke & Leon Storey, baritones; Thomas Barnard, bass. US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP

Delalande. Symphonies pour les Soupers du Roy. Harmonia Mundi HMC 901337/40 (4 CDs 1990). Hugo Reyne, La Symphonie du Marais. US | UK | DE | FR | CA | JP

Books

Lionel Sawkins. A Thematic Catalogue of the Works of Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726). Details. 748 pages. Oxford University Press 2006. US | UK | DE | CA | FR | JP

www.newolde.com/delalande.htm