Search - Francois-Andre Danican Philidor, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Les Arts Florissants :: Charpentier: Te Deum [Hybrid SACD]

The Ultimate In Religious Music Other Than Handel Messiah

Rudy Avila | Lennox, Ca United States | 08/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Handel had his "Messiah" oratorio. Haydn had his brilliant "Creation" oratorio. The lesser known Marc-Antoine Charpentier had his "Te Deum". While choral music for Catholic Mass, for Coronations of Kings and for pomp and circumstance was the norm in the Baroque Era, it continued to the Classical Era of Mozart (his Mass in C, Exultate Jubilate, Coronation Mass and Requiem attest to this) Beethoven also had his Mass in C and into the 19th century- Rossini's Stabat Mater, Berlioz L'Enfance Du Christ and Requiem, Bizet's Te Deum and Gounod's Saint Cecilia Mass, among others. Charpentier was a French composer of the late Baroque/early Classical period. His music is dramatic, spiritual and uplifting. The classically trained conductor William Christe has long associated himself with reviving "period" orchestral forces and his Arts Florissants orchestra are the world's foremost authority on ancient music. As such, this is perfect for Christie and his Arts Florissants, who bring a powerful and vivid ardor to this piece, using authentic instruments, voices that sing with bravura and splendor and overall great recording engineering. This is wonderful and I recommend it to any classical music fan and lover of religious music."

Charpentier and Christie score again!

B. Marold | Bethlehem, PA United States | 03/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This unassuming CD has some of the most interesting liturgical music I've heard from the period between the great Medieval and Renaissance composers and the classics of Handel, Hayden, and Mozart. Be sure to note that while only 'Te Deum' appears on the front cover, the CD actually includes three different masses, including a Missa "Assumpta Est Maria" and "Litanies De La Vierge". The 'Te Deum' is certainly the most remarkable, especially with its use of percussion. Christie and his 'Les Arts Florissants' does its usually excellent job.

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