Charpentier, Grands Motets

“A beautifully filmed, performed, and recorded performance of polyphonic masterpieces, beckoning the listener to suspend the imagination and enter the court of Louis XIV and the magnificent setting of the Chapelle Royale” The Front Row Center 

“The setting, the quality of performance and the crucial understanding of the crew gathered to record this performance combine to make it a highly satisfying hour of listening.” Berkshire Fine Arts 

The general public is already quite familiar with the Te Deum H. 146 , of which the brilliant opening was used as a theme tune for Eurovision television programmes. However, not so many people are aware of the existence of the other three Te Deums that have come down to us, out of the eight that Charpentier composed during the course of his life. It is precisely H. 147 which is included in the programme of this monographic concert devoted to the large scale religious music of the great French master, whose multiple facets Les Arts Florissants have been exploring for more than 40 years.

Among other marvels, the public will also be able to (re)discover the majesty of the Magnificat H. 77, the overwhelming serenity of the Litanies à la Vierge, or the virtuosity of the writing of the Nuptiae sacrae - this nuptial dialogue evoking the relationship of Jesus to his church. 

Watch an extract :