In issue No. 49 I had the pleasure of reviewing Ensemble Sagittarius’ excellent recording of two Missa pro defunctis settings by Charles Levens. Sagittarius has more Levens for us on this new recording of his Te Deum and Deus Noster Refugium.

For those not familiar with Levens, he was born in Marseille and worked in Bordeaux, Toulouse and Vannes. He eventually settled in Bordeaux, where he held the position of chapel master at the cathedral of St. André till his death in 1764. Levens’ Te Deum was commissioned in 1722 by the Vannes canons. Once again, I am impressed by Levens’ subtle but superb talents. The Te Deum is rich with beautifully crafted solos, duets, five part choral passages and sensitive instrumental accompaniment. All are memorable but it’s the remarkable “Dignare Domine,” a trio for countertenor, tenor and bass that had me leaning on my CD player’s replay button. The other grand motet on the recording, Deus noster Refugium is also a stunner. The motet is stirring, with interesting rhythmic turns and another remarkable trio, this time a three bass voice setting of “Propterea.”

Once again I am impressed with the suave vocalism, balance and expressiveness that’s found in every passage. The instrumental forces are top-notch as well. I haven’t enjoyed a recording of French sacred music as much as this since the early days of Les Arts Florissants. Ensemble Saggitarius can record as much Levens, or anything else, as they want. They have a big fan in me. CRAIG ZEICHNER