Search - Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Les Arts Florissants :: Charpentier: Te Deum / Missa Assumpta Est Maria

The magnificent Te Deum for chorus, eight soloists, trumpets, winds, and strings was Charpentier's first modern "hit." (Its prelude is now world famous as the signature theme for Eurovision.) The movements alternate, in the manner of a grand motet, between solos or small ensembles (some of which are surprisingly calm) and majestic choruses. The Missa Assumpta est Maria is more gently scored for six-part choir with soloists, flutes, and strings; its gracious lilt makes a marvelous contrast to the opulence of the Te Deum. The Litanies de la vierge are a series of eight petitions to the Virgin Mary bracketed by a Kyrie and an Agnus Dei (which share melodic material with the Assumpta Mass). Les Arts Florissants capture every nuance in these works, demonstrating again their preeminence in French Baroque music. --Matthew Westphal