Two of Charpentier's major scores resound in Jordi Savall's expert hands: the liturgical delicacy of the Mass, rooted in the ancestral poetry of Christmas, is matched by the flamboyant, hymn-like joy of the famous Te Deum.
Composed around 1694, Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Messe de minuit is based on an arrangement of ten traditional Christmas carols, set in the vocal and instrumental ensemble like the gems of the Three Kings' crown. Graceful and danceable, but not without vigour, this celebration of the Nativity seduces by the organic link it maintains, despite its refined writing, with the popular heritage. Made extremely famous by the Eurovision credits, the Te Deum is both a song of praise to the divinity and a music of celebration. Written for choir, five soloists and instrumental ensemble, it embodies the triumph of Versailles and its civilisation of grandeur. The famous Prelude alone has become a symbol of the Grand Siècle: trumpets and timpani, in the reputedly martial key of D major, resound in the flamboyant portico of this galvanising music.
Types
- Music
- Music
- Lyric art
- Choir
- Classical music
- Concert