André Campra devoted the first part of his career to the composition of religious works. Probably from Aix-en-Provence or the surrounding region, he joined the choir school of Saint-Sauveur Cathedral as an altar boy in 1674. In 1679, he became master of music in Toulon, then held various posts, notably on his return to Aix, in Arles and in Toulouse. It was only in 1694 that he came to the capital, where his career continued to flourish. He became Master of Music at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, succeeding Jean Mignon, before devoting himself entirely to opera at the turn of the 18th century. He partially returned to religious music in 1722, when he was appointed to the Chapelle royale in Versailles, taking over a quarter that had been held by the other great figure of religious and lyric music of the period, Michel-Richard de Lalande.

The great Dixit Dominus, like the Requiem, belongs to the composer’s first period in the south. The work has come down to us in reduced form: the viola parts were not included in the score. It belongs to the superb collection of the Saint-Sauveur d’Aix-en-Provence choir school, preserved by the Archbishopric of Aix. The present edition therefore features the restoration of the hautes-contre and tailles de violon parts, work carried out by Charlotte Marck under the direction of Gérard Geay.

This rather short grand motet features a succession of instrumental passages, solos, duets, trios and large choruses in the gallant style of the late 17th century, and illustrates the composer’s overriding concern for illustrating the text, in this case Psalm 109.