Marc-Antoine Charpentier
About the composer
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1634-1704) was born in Paris. He composed, beside some seven operas, mainly works for the church and many of these were dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The cause of this was, probably, that for a large part of his life he was employed by a pair of very rich ladies of nobility, who were very religious.Charpentier composed two different Stabat Maters, dated from ca. 1680 and ca. 1670.
About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | ca. 1680 |
| Performers: | Soprano, alto, tenor, bass + organ, theorbe and double-bass |
| Length: | 12.49 minutes |
| Particulars: | The composition follows the structure of the poem exactly. It is of an astonishing simplicity, consisting of two melodies, that, moreover, are very much alike. Alternately these are being sung by the high voices, accompanied by theorbe and double-bass, and by the lower voices, accompanied by the organ. Notwithstanding its simplicity, or maybe exactly because of this, it is a work of great beauty, combining purity with fervor. |
| Textual variations: | The composition follows the structure of the poem exactly. It is of an astonishing simplicity, consisting of two melodies, that, moreover, are very much alike. Alternately these are being sung by the high voices, accompanied by theorbe and double-bass, and by the lower voices, accompanied by the organ. Notwithstanding its simplicity, or maybe exactly because of this, it is a work of great beauty, combining purity with fervor. |
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Information about the recording
| CD: | Auvidis-Astree E 8713: Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Canticum ad Beatam Virginem Mariam |
| More info: | The CD contains works of Charpentier which are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Recorded at the church Notre-Dame du Travail, Paris, in February 1989. I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1999. |
| Orchestra: | Le Concert des Nations |
| Choir: | Le Concert des Nations |
| Conductor: | Jordi Saval |
| Soloists: | Montserrat Figueras, soprano |
| Other works: | Salve Regina à trois voix pareilles |
| Code: | 1999 CHA 01 |
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About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | ca. 1670 |
| Performers: | Alto, tenor, bass, mixed chorus + organ |
| Length: | 2.31 minutes |
| Particulars: | This Stabat is part 8 of a larger work, Méditations pour le Carême, which is a kind of Via Crucis, the Stations of the Cross. The ten tiny motets each picture a moment of the path to the crucifixion. |
| Textual variations: | This Stabat is part 8 of a larger work, Méditations pour le Carême, which is a kind of Via Crucis, the Stations of the Cross. The ten tiny motets each picture a moment of the path to the crucifixion. |
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Information about the recording
| CD: | Harmonia Mundi France HMA 1905151: Charpentier, Le Reniement de Saint Pierre |
| More info: | These works have survived through the ages by the fact that they were copied by Sébastien de Brossard, who admired them very much. The Latin is sung with a French pronunciation, chosen because this was common in Charpentier’s time. Recorded in april 1985. I bought this CD in a record shop in the Netherlands, 1998. |
| Orchestra: | Les Arts Florissans |
| Choir: | Les Arts Florissans |
| Conductor: | William Christie |
| Other works: | Le Reniement de Saint Pierre |
| Code: | 1998 CHA 02 |
