Cast
Caroline Weynants, Caroline Bardot, Perrine Devillers, Marie-Frédérique Girod Sopranos
Vojtech Semerad, David Tricou Countertenors
Antonin Rondepierre, Thibault Givaja Tenors
Etienne Bazola, Alexandre Baldo Basses
Ensemble Correspondances
Sébastien Daucé Conductor
Presentation
In the religious period of Louis XIV, the Easter season was the most important for the piety of the entire society. However, the Christmas period grew in significance, eventually securing a place of second importance in the hearts of the faithful. Specific compositions were dedicated to the Advent and Nativity seasons, often incorporating popular melodies, and the organ remained silent from the first Sunday of Advent until Christmas, when it would resurge with vigor to perform the famous varied Christmas carols!
Show moreWhile Charpentier gained posthumous fame with the opening notes of his Te Deum, his Messe de Minuit is perhaps one of the main works that led to his recognition. It invites listeners to immerse themselves in a musical world where both learned and popular traditions coexist harmoniously: all the artistry and expertise of Charpentier are evident in this blending of traditional Christmas carols within a mass composed for Christmas Eve, around 1690. These melodies were known by all, both peasants and gentlemen, who recognized them as they were interwoven within subtle counterpoint and fresh harmonies, enriched by orchestral parts. The pleasure of music was offered to everyone: either in recognizing a familiar tune or in appreciating its extraordinary arrangement. The simplicity of the original carols also imbued the entire mass with a purity and simplicity that spoke universally at the time.
The In Nativitatem H.416 served as a prelude to the Midnight Mass, following the style of Charpentier’s great sacred stories. The In Nativitatem recounts the Nativity story, with the Angel Gabriel announcing the great news of Christ’s birth to the Shepherds.
Sébastien Daucé brings this beautiful Christmas program back, which he recorded magnificently, to celebrate the Nativity in a style admired at the Versailles of Louis XIV.
Programme
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 – 1704)
Sub tuum praesidium
Quam gloriosa dicta sunt de te
Salve Regina
Usquequo domine
Messe de Minuit