Marc-Antoine Charpentier1643-1704

IN THE KNOW

• Not much is known about his life. He is thought to be born in Paris, France. His father was a scribe for several very influential families of the Parliament of Paris.

• He went to law school for one semester and dropped out to study music. He did study with Giacomo Carissimi for 2-3 years the dates are not for certain.

• He wrote several different types of music including 200 something 430 motets, psalms, prologues, entr-actes, 12 mass settings, 22 oratorios, antiphons, sequences, 54 lessons and responsories for the Tenebrae, and 8 cantatas.

• Charpentier referred to his French cantatas as air serieux or air boire.

CONTINUED…

• Over his musical career, he taught Phillippe, duke of Chartre and was also the musical collaborator to Moliere (poet) and the Comedie Francais.

• Moliere and Charpentier worked on Mariage force (1672) and Malade imaginaire (1673).

• King Louis XIV awarded him a pension and a position to be the sous-maitre at the royal chapel (a position he turned down due to his health).

• He also served as maitre de musique at several places:

1. The residence of Marie de Lorraine and Mademoiselle de Guise in Paris (1670)

2. The Jesuit’s St. Paul-St. Louis church (1680s)

3. The Sainte Chappelle (1698)

MAJOR WORKS• La descente d’Orphee aux enfers• Te Deum• Theater pieces: Medee (1693) Circe (1676) and Andromede• David et Jonathas• Oratorios (just to name a few): Caecilia, Filius Prodigus, Judith sive

Bethulia liberata H391, Mors Saülis et Jonathae H403, Judicium Salomonis H422, In nativitatem Domini canticum H416 (pastorale--an oratorio on the Christmas story), Le reniement de St Pierre H424, Sacrificium Abrahae H402

• Masses (just to name a few): Messe pour le Port Royal H5, Messe à quatre choeurs H4, Messe de minuit pour Noël H9

• Requiem Masses: Messe pour les trépassés à 8 H2, Messe des morts à 4 H7 (which includes the De profundis motet), and Messe des morts à 4 et symphonie H10

Te Deum

• Charpentier composed six Te Deum settings, although only four of them have survived.

• Composed and performed to mark the victory celebrations and the Battle of Steinkirk in August, 1692.

• The prelude to this setting is well-known in Europe, since it is used as the theme music for the broadcasting of the European Broadcasting Union (the organization behind the Eurovision Song Contest). This theme was also used for the introduction of "The Olympiad" films of Bud Greenspan.

MASSES

Messe de minuit pour Noël H9• The most familiar of the

masses• Parody work based on ten

French Christmas Carols

Missa Assumpta est Maria H11

• His final mass• A large scale work told to be

celebratory of the feast of the Assumption (the Catholic Day of Assumption, when the Virgin Mary died and assumed her place beside Jesus)

ORATORIOS

Judicium Salomonis H422• Composed for the

convening of Parliament on November 11, 1702

• The biblical story of this work compares King Louis XIV to King Solomon

In nativitatem Domini canticum H416

• This oratorio was performed at the St. Paul-St. Louis Jesuits church

• The text is in two parts:1. Psalm 12:1; a plea for salvation2. Luke 2: 10-12; the angels

announcement to the shepherds of Jesus’ birth

• 3 separate instrumental movements: Prelude, Nuit, Marches des Berges, and a final Nuit