Musicians - Marc-Antoine Charpentier

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	Musicians - Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - February 24, 1704) was a French composer of the Baroque era. He was a prolific and versatile composer, principally of sacred vocal music, and was one of the most famous contemporaries of Jean-Baptiste Lully.

Life

He was born in or near Paris, the son of a master scribe who had very good connections to influential families in the Parlement of Paris. Marc-Antoine himself received a very good education (perhaps with the help of the Jesuits) and registered for law school in Paris, when he was eighteen. Patricia Ranum (ref.) has made it possible to now say for certain that it is known that he was a "young man" when he studied in Rome, probably, according to Ranum, between 1667 and 1669. While in Rome he studied with Giacomo Carissimi; an old legend of his going to Rome to study painting, prior to his musical talent being discovered by Carissimi, is undocumented. Certainly he acquired a solid knowledge of contemporary Italian practice, which he brought back to France.

Most likely he worked for Marie de Lorraine, duchesse de Guise on his return to France, as her house composer, until her death in 1688. During this time he composed a considerable quantity of dramatic secular vocal works, as well as psalm settings, hymns, a Magnificat setting, a mass, and motets (which he called stories and canticum).

Beginning around 1672, he worked with Molière after Molière's falling out with Jean-Baptiste Lully. During the 1680s Charpentier served as maître de musique at the Jesuits' Paris church of St. Louis. In addition, Charpentier served as the music teacher to Philippe, Duke of Chartres. Charpentier was appointed maître de musique à la Sainte Chapelle in 1698, a post he held until his death in 1704. One of his most famous compositions during his tenure was the Mass "Assumpta Est Maria" (H 11).

Music, style and influence

His compositions include oratorios, masses, operas, and numerous smaller pieces that are difficult to categorize. Many of his smaller works for one or two voices and instruments resemble the Italian cantata of the time, and share most features except for the name: Charpentier calls them air sérieux or air à boire if they are in French, but cantata if they are in Italian.

Miscellaneous

The prelude to his Te Deum, H. 146, a rondeau, is very well-known as the signature tune for the European Broadcasting Union, heard in the opening credits of the Vienna New Year's Concert and the Eurovision Song Contest.

Charpentier's works

Charpentier's compositions were catalogued by Hugh Wiley Hitchcock. They are often referred to by H (for Hitchcock) number.

Operas

Les Amours d'Acis et Galatée (1678)
La Descente d'Orphée aux Enfers (1686-1687)
Le Jugement de Paris (1690)
Philomele (1690)
Médée (1693)

Biblical tragedies

David & Jonathas (1684)
Celse (1687)

Pastorales

Actéon (1684)
La Couronne de Fleurs (1685)
La Fête de Ruel (1685)
Il faut rire et chanter: Dispute de Bergers (1685)
Le Retour de Printemps
Cupido Perfido Dentr'al Mio Cor
Petite Pastorale Eglogue de Bergers

Pastoraletta

Amor Vince Ogni Cosa

Tragedies

Circé (1675)
Andromède (1682)

Comedies

La Comtesee de'Escarbagnas (1672)
Le Médecin malgré lui (1672)
Le Fâcheux (1672)
L'Inconnu (1675)
Les Amours de Vénus et Adonis (1685)

Comédies-Ballet

Le Mariage Forcé (1672)
Le Malade Imaginaire (1672)
Le Sicilien (1679)

Ballets

Polyeucte (1679)

Divertissements

Les Plaisirs de Versailles (1682)
Idylle sur le Retour de la Sante du Roi (1687)

Musical Idylls

Les Arts Florissants

Interludes (Intermèdes)

Le Triomphe des Dames (1676)
La Pierre Philosophale (1681)
Endymion (1681)
Dialogues d'Angélique et de Médor (1685)

Sonatas

Sonates à huit

Sacred Music

Messe de Minuit pour Noël (H. 9, c. 1690)
Missa Assumpta est Maria (H. 11, 1698-1702)
Litanies de la vierge (H. 83, 1683-1685)
Te Deum (H. 146, c. 1690)
Dixit Dominus (H. 204)
In nativitatem Domini canticum (H. 416)
Noëls (3) (H. 531 c. 1680)
Noëls pour les instruments (H. 534, c. 1690)

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