Charpentier M-A Sacred Choral Works
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Label: Studio
Magazine Review Date: 1/1990
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: EG763135-4

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Te Deum |
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer
Academy of St Martin in the Fields Charles Brett, Alto Eiddwen Harrhy, Soprano Felicity Lott, Soprano Ian Partridge, Tenor King's College Choir, Cambridge Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer Philip Ledger, Conductor Stephen Roberts, Baritone |
Messe de minuit pour Noël |
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer
April Cantelo, Soprano Christopher Keyte, Bass David Willcocks, Conductor English Chamber Orchestra Helen Gelmar, Soprano Ian Partridge, Tenor James Bowman, Alto King's College Choir, Cambridge Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer |
Composer or Director: Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Label: Studio
Magazine Review Date: 1/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 60
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: 763135-2

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Te Deum |
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer
Academy of St Martin in the Fields Charles Brett, Alto Eiddwen Harrhy, Soprano Felicity Lott, Soprano Ian Partridge, Tenor King's College Choir, Cambridge Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer Philip Ledger, Conductor Stephen Roberts, Baritone |
Messe de minuit pour Noël |
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer
April Cantelo, Soprano Christopher Keyte, Bass David Willcocks, Conductor English Chamber Orchestra Helen Gelmar, Soprano Ian Partridge, Tenor James Bowman, Alto King's College Choir, Cambridge Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer |
Composer or Director: Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Label: Masterworks
Magazine Review Date: 1/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 70
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: CD44706

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Te Deum |
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer
(La) Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy David Thomas, Bass James Griffett, Tenor Jean-Claude Malgoire, Conductor Kevin Smith, Alto Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer Mary Beverly, Soprano St Mary Collegiate Church Choir, Warwick |
Messe de minuit pour Noël |
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer
(La) Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy (Les) Petits Chanteurs de Chaillot Gregory Reinhart, Bass Henri Ledroit, Alto Jean-Claude Malgoire, Conductor John Elwes, Tenor Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Composer |
Author: Nicholas Anderson
The performances in their different ways bring out much of the grandeur in the Te Deum and the tender intimacy of the Messe de Minuit. Ledger gives a robust account of the former, though he is less concerned with French stylistic conventions of the time than Malgoire. No double-dotting for him, for instance, and ornamentation, vocal and instrumental, is variable in its execution. Malgoire has a surer feeling for such matters, yet his orchestra of period instruments are decidedly rough-textured and lacking in finesse. Both he and Ledger prefer flutes to the recorders which Charpentier almost certainly intended, and both prefer male altos, solo and choral, to the high tenors who would have sung these parts in Charpentier's time.
Whereas Ledger almost entirely eschews dotted rhythms Willcocks wholeheartedly embraces them in his performance of the Messe de Minuis but in this music, more than in the Te Deum recorders as opposed to transverse flutes play an important part in Charpentier's delicately wrought textures. Flutes, alas, prevail here along with falsetto as opposed to high tenor or
To sum up, neither version does full justice to Charpentier's music. If you place polished ensemble above matters of style then the King's, Cambridge version may suit you better than the often scrappy singing and playing on the French disc. Malgoire, however, does seem to me to capture the spirit of the music more convincingly than either Willcocks or Ledger, while at the same time constantly reminding us of the need-for a satisfying and faithful performance of the Mass. Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata came close to it in a Desmar LP recording issued by Telefunken in 1978 but long ago deleted. William Christie and Les Arts Florissants on Harmonia Mundi will probably satisfy those in search of a stylish and exciting performance of the Te Deum. Both booklets contain full texts but the CBS one, in spite of informative notes, is carelessly assembled with no mention whatsoever of tracks 14–17.'
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