Although it is an uncanny reflector of social change, classical music often seems to be restricted to what happens in between periods of political instability. From time to time music and song of war and revolution have been compiled, but France 1789, from the innovative Alpha label, is probably the first in attempting to depict the musical worlds of each of the two sides in a conflict. Subtitled "Revolt in the music of a sans-culotte [the lower-class revolutionary laborers who wore only ordinary long pants, not silk breeches] and of a royalist," the album presents the ordinary music of the streets for the two groups as the French Revolution took hold. One interesting thing is that the group Les Lunaisiens and its leaders Arnaud Marzorati and Jean-François Novelli dig up unusual pieces to represent both groups; the royalists' pieces are not grand operatic selections but intimate chamber works, many of them sacred. The sans-culottes and the royalists alternate roughly in pairs. Both are sung by the same performers, and the revolutionary songs are distinguished not only by their texts, but by the manner of singing and by the rougher-timbred instruments (such as the serpent) employed. There's no claim that the performances are historically derived from iconography or writings, but the sound is convincing and the overall depth of the attempt to imagine music as it existed on the streets and in the besieged rooms of the aristocracy is impressive. The best is saved for last: La Marseillaise, the eventual hymn of the revolution, is paired with a "Contre-Marseillaise" issued by a conservative Catholic abbott. In addition to its sheer listenability, this album is strongly recommended to anyone studying the culture of the Revolutionary era or attempting to create fictional or dramatic representations of it.© TiVo

Under the ambiguous title of “Requiem pour Louis XVI”, Hervé Niquet has unearthed the Messe des morts, written by an obscure nineteenth-century composer, Jean-Paul Egide Martini (sometimes known as Martini il Tedesco or Schwarzendorf). Born in Germany, he later settled in Nancy, adopting the name Martini and obtaining a position at the court of Stanislas Leszczynski. He would go on to skilfully navigate across regimes, becoming “superintendent of the Royal Music” in Paris under the rule of Louis XVIII.Martini presented his work in 1813 when competing for an official post, using the cautious title of Messe des morts à grand orchestre dédiée aux mânes des compositeurs les plus célèbres. Composed in 1811 under the French Empire, it was selected to be performed in the royal basilica of Saint-Denis, near Paris, during the transfer of the remains of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. It was performed again the following year, in the same place, during the celebration of the martyred King’s birthday at the behest of his brother, Louis XVIII.Powerful, grandiose and superbly orchestrated, this score is imbued with various influences, including Mozart’s Requiem, of course. There are also winks to Italian music, which had a strong hold on France at the turn of the century. This is a welcome rediscovery, superbly performed by Hervé Niquet at the head of the Concert Spirituel, and the excellent soloists: Adriana Gonzalez, Julien Behr and Andreas Wolf. © François Hudry/Qobuz

Jacky Terrasson's 1999 album, What It Is, represented something of a risk. The young pianist's first three albums were barebones trio affairs that had won him rave reviews, whereas What It Is featured additional instruments and was more slickly produced. Gone, it seemed, was the sparse, acoustic approach that had originally given Terrasson his fame. But while this new direction yielded mixed results and left some fans a bit befuddled, one had to respect Terrasson's need to grow and evolve as an artist.Terrasson does much better with his follow-up, A Paris, an homage to the city of his youth and early adulthood. While not a return to the simple piano trio format (there are five guest musicians in addition to two alternating rhythm sections), the album has a spontaneous, natural sound that was lacking from the studio-centric What It Is. What's more, A Paris is packed with new and varied ideas that work, not to mention passionate, fiery playing throughout.Only the last two tracks are originals, the fewest ever on a Terrasson album. "Rue de Lombards," a funk fragment that sounds like an in-studio improvisation, is credited to Terrasson, drummer Terreon Gully, and bassist Remi Vignolo. The rest of the tracks are Terrasson's highly personal readings of songs from French culture. Most will not be familiar to American listeners, with the possible exception of "La Marseillaise" -- the French national anthem -- and the Edith Piaf classic "La Vie en Rose," played in a calypso feel by Terrasson and percussionist Minino Gara.Guitarist Bireli Lagrene's cameos on the bluesy title track and the swinging "Que Reste-T'Il de Nos Amours?" are nothing short of brilliant. The latter, which bears an uncanny likeness to Lerner & Loewe's "Almost Like Being in Love," features Terrasson on Fender Rhodes electric piano. Saxophonist Stefano di Battista also makes two fine appearances, playing tenor on the fast, tense "Jeux Interdits" and soprano on the lively and pretty "L'Aigle Noir," one of the two originals. Both Lagrene and Battista return for the brief, full-company finale, an intoxicating funk line by Terrasson titled "Métro." Another highlight is Terrasson resuscitating his funk version of Cole Porter's "I Love Paris," the only song by an American writer and the very one that led off Terrasson's 1994 debut album. Bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker, Terrasson's trio mates from his first three albums, both return to play on the Porter track, as well as the opening Piaf number "Plaisir d'Amour" and an exquisite reading of Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas." The latter briefly features Gregoire Maret on harmonica, who played on What It Is. Several rather short pieces are grouped right around the middle of the album, giving that part of the program a collage-like feel that can seem a bit superficial. That aside, Terrasson has pulled off something rare: a concept album that succeeds on a variety of creative levels. In the process, he's given exposure to several excellent European musicians, not to mention some beautiful French music that American audiences ought to hear.© David R. Adler /TiVo

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