|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A century ago, on April 22, 1925, a suburb of Paris witnessed the passing of André Caplet, a composer and conductor whose unique artistry distinguished him from his contemporaries. As the French poet and Germanist Maurice Boucher († 1977) astutely observed, Caplet “resembled none of his contemporaries and […] represented in his own way and in his own place an art that was always wide-awake and always fresh.”[1]
Born on November 27, 1879, in Le Havre, northwestern France, Caplet showcased his musical prowess early, captivating audiences with piano performances at the Folies-Bergère at just twelve years old. He entered the Paris Conservatory in 1896 and won the Prix de Rome in 1901 with his cantata Myrrha, while Maurice Ravel († 1937) placed third. During this time, he also embarked on a conducting career, directing the Boston Opera and the Orchestre de Paris from 1910 to 1914.
A pivotal moment in Caplet’s career was his friendship with Claude Debussy († 1918), which began in 1907. Caplet not only revised and orchestrated several of Debussy’s works but also conducted on May 22, 1911 the Paris premiere of Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien, stage music written by Debussy for the mystery play in five acts by Gabriele D’Annunzio († 1938). This partnership with Debussy deeply influenced Caplet’s musical language, guiding him toward a refined style characterized by the fluidity and ethereal textures emblematic of French Impressionism.
However, Caplet’s career was profoundly altered by the outbreak of World War I. Enlisting as a sergeant, he sustained severe injuries from poison gas, which had lasting effects on his health. Post-war, Caplet chose to forgo conducting to focus entirely on composition, producing a body of work that, while not widely recognized, includes significant contributions to orchestral music, chamber music (his preferred medium), choral works, and mélodies for voice and piano. The lasting impact of his wartime experiences contributed to his premature death in 1925, at the age of 45.
The war also deepened Caplet’s Catholic faith, a theme that profoundly influenced his later compositions. This spiritual journey culminated in Le Miroir de Jésus (The Mirror of Jesus), a cantata for mezzo-soprano, female choir, string orchestra, and harp.
Composed in 1923, it stands as one of Caplet’s most ambitious and celebrated works. The cantata is based on the poetry of Catholic convert Henri Ghéon († 1944). First performed in Lyon on February 22, 1924, and later in Paris at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier on May 1, 1924, Le Miroir de Jésus was lauded by critics for its innovative and deeply introspective qualities.
Subtitled Mystères du rosaire (Mysteries of the Rosary), the cantata musically explores the Rosary of the Virgin Mary, highlighting significant moments from Jesus’ life through His Most Holy Mother’s perspective. The score mirrors the “sweet chain linking us to God” (Blessed Bartolo Longo) as represented by the Rosary, divided into three sections: Miroir de Joie (Mirror of Joy), which reflects on the Incarnation and the hidden life of Christ; Miroir de Peine (Mirror of Sorrow); and Miroir de Gloire (Mirror of Glory), focusing respectively on the sufferings of Hhis Passion and the triumph of Hhis Resurrection. Each section is structured into six movements: a prelude followed by the five mysteries. In 2002, Pope John Paul II († 2005) fittingly integrated the Mysteries of Light into the Rosary, a meditation on certain particularly significant moments in Christ’s public ministry.
Caplet’s meticulous craftsmanship is evident in his own description of the work: “My intentions, have I told you? Are to use the string quartet and harp as accompaniment; to precede each group of Mysteries (of joy, of sorrow, of glory) with a small prelude entrusted solely to the string instruments, and to use a group of female voices (only 9 voices divided into 3) to enrich, as a background sound, the Joyful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries.”[2] This careful yet expressive use of instrumental and vocal textures defines Le Miroir de Jésus. The choir plays a crucial role in the Joyful and Glorious Mysteries, introducing sacred Latin phrases such as Ave Maria, Magnificat, Lumen ad revelationem gentium, and Alleluia, weaving them into Caplet’s ethereal soundscape.
In contrast, during the Sorrowful Mysteries, Caplet omits the choir, allowing the mezzo-soprano to convey the emotional weight of Christ’s suffering. This choice underscores Caplet’s sensitivity to the emotional and spiritual depth of his subject matter, recognizing that the choir’s timbre might not fully capture the gravity of the Passion. The string quartet and harp contribute a subtle yet evocative harmonic language, enhancing the contemplative nature of the work.
The simplicity of Caplet’s instrumentation—limited to strings and harp—coupled with his refined taste and artistic delicacy, creates a dissolution of harmony into a fluid, uniform sonic mist. This approach, alongside the use of a continuous and anti-expressive recitar cantando (speaking in song), culminates in an authentic masterpiece of musical technique.
Le Miroir de Jésus holds a distinguished place among the great religious works of the 20th century. Its purity of conception, economical means, and emotional transparency offer a striking contrast to more ostentatious sacred compositions. Parisian critics have likened its transcendent quality to the mystical visions of Blessed John of Fiesole—Fra Angelico († 1455). Ultimately, Caplet’s Le Miroir de Jésus remains a testament to his artistic genius—an overlooked yet profoundly significant contribution to modern sacred music. Its unified form, refined expressiveness, and spiritual depth continue to inspire listeners, serving as a powerful reminder of the divine mysteries at the heart of Catholic faith.
[1] In La Revue Musicale, Paris, June 1925, p. 300.
[2] In D. Huneau, André Caplet: Debussyste indépendant, Galland 2007, p. 165; our translation.
