Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Andre Caplet was born in 1898 and died in 1925 from injuries sustained in World War I. Today he is probably best remembered as the friend and orchestrator of Claude Debussy but in his lifetime he was a prize winning composer (1901 Prix de Rome) and a popular conductor. 'Le Miroir de Jesus' is a setting of poems by Henri Ghéon composed in 1923 and is unusual in its structure of 15 sections in which the Christian meditates on the mysteries experienced by the Virgin Mary through events in the life of her Son, as if in a 'mirror' of herself. Equally unusual is its scoring: mezzo-soprano, female chorus, harp and string quintet. (On this CD we hear Marie-Claude Chappuis, Ensemble Vocal Lausanne, Anne Bassand and Quatuor Sine Nomine.) Musically the playing is exquisite and we applaud the Director Jean-Claude Fasel. The composition is of its time and reminds this reviewer of Messiaen and Britten although some of the string arrangements brought Philip Glass and his 'Music in Twelve Parts' to my mind. The texts are mystical reflections on the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by his mother Mary and the whole could be used as an aid to meditation through the Rosary, for those who do such a thing. For the Protestants among us this is beautiful, spiritual music with profound themes that are well worth our contemplation. Translations are provided in the CD booklet and, if your French is up to it, the website www.andre-caplet.fr is a treasure house.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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