Victoria Christo resurgenti

Acclaimed in his own way, Louis would eventually be overshadowed by his nephew, François Couperin (1668-1733), nicknamed “The Great.” Born to Louis’s brother Charles—one of the many Saint Gervais organists—François grew up surrounded by music and famous musicians. Upon his father’s death, the young boy continued lessons with Jacques Thomelin, music director at the royal chapel. That post passed to François in 1693, and he would soon attain the highest musical job at Louis XIV’s court: official organist and composer to the king, commanded with organizing and playing both solo and chamber music concerts for the king’s pleasure. This meant offering weekly chamber concerts for most of his remaining years. François continued the family’s significance in harpsichord music, compiling four massive volumes of keyboard works and writing a major treatise on performance practice. But perhaps more than any other Couperin, François made substantial contributions to many different genres.
The sacred motet for Easter Sunday, Victoria, Christo resurgenti, demonstrates Couperin’s command of vocal composition in the antique manner. Scored for two sopranos with organ accompaniment, Victoria moves from extremely florid and effervescent to declamatory; the three main sections of text also shift from duet to solo and back again for a rousing duet conclusion. Couperin shows himself a student of tradition with the “authentic” shift from duple to triple meter at the start of the final Alleluia.

Victoria, Christo resurgenti

Christo resurgenti, Christo triumphanti, applaudant sydera. Alleluia.
Fide vindicata, morte superata laetentur omnia. Alleluia.
With Christ risen, Christ triumphant, the stars clap their hands. Alleluia.
With faith vindicated, with death conquered, all things rejoice. Alleluia.

(c) Jason Stell