Christmas Oratorio Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Pastorale de Noël Akadêmia

Program

  • Marc-Antoine Charpentier
    Magnificat, H 79
    In nativitatem Domini Canticum, H 416
    Messe de Minuit, H 9

The Christmas season occupies a significant place in the sacred music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Even if the works concerned were written to commission, the composer and sincere believer that he was poured his finest inspiration into them. Here we meet both the innovator who makes abundant use of daring harmonies and the naïve tone poet who depicts unsophisticated pastoral scenes to perfection.

A genuine ‘Christmas oratorio’, the Song on the birth of the Lord H416 is in two parts. The first precedes the Nativity and portrays the world awaiting salvation. The second is introduced by the orchestral interlude Night, followed by a ‘shepherds’ march’. An angel appears to announce the glad tidings, and all rejoice and fall in worship before the Lord.

The Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass) is steeped in the popular spirit of the folksongs that inspired it. In this synthesis of sacred and secular, one can only marvel at such profound learning combined with such freshness.

Akadêmia :

8 chanteurs
10 instrumentistes

Press

  • L’Union (24/12/12)
  • L’Union (24/12/12)

    « Timbres raffinés, phrasés expressifs, rondeur et expressivité du discours tout à fait dans le style de la déclamation versaillaise… et de la tragédie lyrique. Françoise Lasserre se délectait des trouvailles harmoniques de Charpentier, des dissonances inattendues, des chromatismes farouches mais aussi de l’ingénieuse instrumentation. L’élan de sa direction, souple mais précise, tendre ou incisive, parvenait à communiquer au public toutes sortes d’émotions […] »

    Francis Albou (L’Union, 24/12/12)

    Videos

    Pastorale de Noël - Festival de Gdansk - décembre 2012