1106189

April 4th, 2020 – 4/4/2020

Assignment 1
Introduce your Piece

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 – 1704) was a composer and “haute-contre” 1 during the Pre-

Rococo period of the French Baroque. A born Parisian, he moved to Rome “sometime in 1666 to

study with [Giacomo] Carissimi at the Collegio Germanico” where he studied “counterpoint as well

as the polychoral techniques practised at the time” (Latham, 2002) 2. Although often considered to be

overlooked due to the rise of “strategically placed contemporary, [Jean-Baptiste] Lully” (Hitchcock,

2001)3, his output is regarded as some of “the most gifted and versatile” of the pool of French

composers.

Among writing Chamber music and Staged productions, he was prolific in the Sacred music

scene, producing “[a]lmost 500 religious works” 4 that survive even to this day, including 6 settings of

the traditional Te Deum setting, 4 of which have survived to date. The one in particular that will be in

focus is the second of these (Te Deum H.146, in D major, 1689-1690?5), from which the “Prelude”

has been extracted. This is an instrumental overture to the work, set for an ensemble of 4 strings parts

[2 violins, viola and violoncello – the latter of whom often doubles the continuo], 2 of both flutes and

oboes, 2 trumpets, timpani (or “drums” 6) and continuo. The entire work is set for “2 haute-dessus,

haute-contre, taille, basse [and] mixed chorus (SATB)” 7 with the ensemble listed above.

1
- ‘A high tenor voice (or instrument of a similar range) […], [i]t was the leading male solo voice role in French
opera from Lully to Rameau.’ The Oxford Companion to Music. Alison Latham (New York, Oxford University
Press Inc.), 572
2
- Marc-Antoine Charpentier, The Oxford Companion to Music, Latham (2002), 239
3
- H. Wiley Hitchcock, “Mark-Antoine Charpentier – 1. Life”, Grove Music Online, published online 2001
4
- H. W. Hitchcock, “Mark-Antoine Charpentier – 2. Sacred Music” (2001)
5
Marc-Antoine Charpentier, “Prelude” from Te Deum H.146 in D major (Holograph Manuscript of composer’s
original score, 1689-1699?), https://imslp.org/wiki/Te_Deum%2C_H.146_(Charpentier%2C_Marc-Antoine),
(first published in Vienna, Universal Edition, ed. Walter Kolneder, 1957 – according to Grove Music Online)
6
In contemporary settings, it can be speculated that timpani are observed as the appropriate instrument to
perform the “drums” part.
7
Charpentier, “Prelude” from Te Deum, IMSLP
 As noted in the instrumental guide on H. Wiley Hitchcock’s guide to the instrumentation of

the 4 surviving Te Deum, this setting is the only one to feature Trumpets in the orchestra (Hitchcock,

2001). The “Prelude” is set in a Rondo form, in which the reccuring theme features the full ensemble,

and the intermittent interludes mute the Trumpets and Drums, and in some recordings parts of the

continuo are not used8 (Naïve, 2008). It was standard, “as Georg Muffat reported, the Paris Opera in

1669 played at A-392”9 (Richman, 2006).

This Prelude is one of history’s most popular, and is used in various ceremonious occasions

such as weddings and graduations. A more modern example is as the overture to the Eurovision

contest; from which it has been endearingly dubbed the “Eurovisionsmelodie”.

8
Charpentier, Marc Antoine. Gester Martin, Le Parlement de Musique & Maitrise de Bretagne. Apple Music.
Charpentier : Te Deum, « I. Prelude en Rondeau », Naïve Records, 2008
9
Richman, James. The Case Against 392. Early Music America; Cleveland, Ohio Vol. 12, Iss. 1, 2006: 64
 Bibilography

1. The Oxford Companion to Music. ed. Alison Latham. New York, Oxford University Press

Inc., 2002

2. H. Wiley Hitchcock. “Mark-Antoine Charpentier”. Grove Music Online, 2001 (online)

3. Charpentier, Marc-Antoine. “Prelude” from Te Deum H.146 in D major. Holograph

Manuscript of composer’s original score. Paris, 1689-1699?

https://imslp.org/wiki/Te_Deum%2C_H.146_(Charpentier%2C_Marc-Antoine)

4. Richman, James. The Case Against 392. Early Music America; Cleveland, Ohio Vol. 12, Iss.

1, 2006

5. Charpentier, Marc Antoine. Gester Martin, Le Parlement de Musique & Maitrise de Bretagne.

Apple Music. Charpentier : Te Deum, « I. Prelude en Rondeau », Naïve Records, 2008

https://music.apple.com/au/album/te-deum-h146-i-pr%C3%A9lude-en-

rondeau/307206276?

i=307206327&fbclid=IwAR1xqiMsFBA7qUa5GxYgzO2rLzyegGJ2oqOnnHcm_VVzCP

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