Missa Assumpta est Maria (1699) is Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s 11th and last Mass, where economy of utterance and attention to detail produce a substantial, magisterially involving work of emotionally expressive power. “Although every phrase or group of phrases has its own atmosphere, Charpentier links them together with extraordinary naturalness and ease,” says biographer Catherine Cessac. William Christie sticks to the published score that contains two Kyrie eleisons each preceded by a sinfonie, Christe eleison, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and a setting of Psalm 19 verse 10, “Domine salvum fac regem” (H303), a prayer for the health of the king – Louis XIV – that traditionally ended every Mass. For reasons explained in the booklet, Hervé Niquet adds a sinfonie before Christe eleison, a motet (H361), an offertory (H508), an elevation (H262), a Benedictus for organ and another setting of Psalm 19 verse 10 (H291).

Niquet’s performance is a fitting reflection of the music’s magnitude. Perhaps the epithet is “austere”, but it isn’t the austerity of unbending rigour. Instead he finds within the discipline he imposes, the qualities of robustness (Kyrie 1), weightiness (Christe), contemplation (Kyrie 2) and gravity (Credo) that are extracted from other sections as well. Christie veers towards a lighter outlook and sometimes uses an incongruous harpsichord continuo. Its spiky transients are intrusive whereas Niquet’s lambently atmospheric theorbos are absolutely right for Charpentier’s textures. But differences notwithstanding, each conductor offers an interpretation that matches the work’s stature. Do yourself a favour and have both recordings.