Charpentier: Pour un reposoir, Noëls sur les instruments & Sonate à huit

Featuring

Florence Malgoire
Étienne Debaisieux
Jean-Marie Marchal
Luc Terrieux
Julie Calbete
Amélie Renglet

Mathilde Sevrin
Caroline Weynants
Les Dominos
Les Agrémens
Chœur de chambre de Namur
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Anonymous (Gregorian Chant)
Anonymous (Christmas)
Nicolas Lebègue

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Instruments

Charpentier's Sonate à huit (H. 548) uniquely calls for a 'basse de violon à 5 cordes,' an instrument with an extra upper string, resembling the violoncello piccolo later used by Bach.

Compositional Technique

The Sonate à huit (H. 548) by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) features 'German flutes,' which were transverse flutes, distinguishing them from recorders.

Recording & Production

This recording was made with the support of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Direction générale de la Culture, Service de la Musique).

Composer Biography

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) always paid great attention to composing for various instruments in his sacred vocal works, theatre pieces, and pastorals.

Interpretation

For this recording, the performers of Charpentier's Noëls sur les Instruments sometimes extended the pieces by repeating sections, and the organist used various stops of the Récit, including replacing flute and violin solos with organ solos.

Composition History

Charpentier's Sonate à huit (H. 548) and Concert à quatre parties de violes (H. 545) are his only two instrumental works not composed for religious or theatrical use.

Historical Context

Charpentier's Sonate à huit (H. 548) is significant because, at the time, violins were primarily used in French orchestral works, making their presence in chamber music new and linked to the discovery of Italian sonatas.