Marc-Antoine Charpentier studied in Italy with Giacomo Carissimi, and he was one of the first composers to introduce aspects of Italian styles to France. His big motets lend themselves naturally to operatic singing, and even in liturgical works like the ones collected on this release, the Italian influences are still there. Sample the Magnificat à 3, with its ground bass-like construction and its unusual texture, including three male voices (bass, tenor, and haute-contre). The opening Litanies de la vierge are for a six ...
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Marc-Antoine Charpentier studied in Italy with Giacomo Carissimi, and he was one of the first composers to introduce aspects of Italian styles to France. His big motets lend themselves naturally to operatic singing, and even in liturgical works like the ones collected on this release, the Italian influences are still there. Sample the Magnificat à 3, with its ground bass-like construction and its unusual texture, including three male voices (bass, tenor, and haute-contre). The opening Litanies de la vierge are for a six-voice group, but the bulk of the program consists of the titular Leçons de ténèbres, solo works (two for bass and one for haute-contre) with a small ensemble to which is given a good quantity of expressive writing and contrapuntal clashes. Nevertheless, the ensemble Arcangelo and director Jonathan Cohen keep the feeling sparse. The two named soloists, tenor Samuel Boden and baritone Stéphane Degout (the other soloists are drawn from the larger Arcangelo group), contribute strongly to...
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
