Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - February 24, 1704) was a French composer of the Baroque era.

He was a prolific and versatile composer, producing music of the highest quality in several genres. His mastery in the composition of sacred vocal music was recognized and acknowledged by his contemporaries.

Charpentier was born in or near Paris, the son of a master scribe who had very good connections to influential families in the Parlement of Paris. Marc-Antoine received a very good education, perhaps with the help of the Jesuits, and registered for law school in Paris when he was eighteen. He was in Rome, probably between 1667 and 1669, and studied with Giacomo Carissimi. A certain legend claims that Charpentier initially traveled to Rome to study painting before he was discovered by Carissimi. This story is undocumented and possibly untrue. Regardless, he acquired a solid knowledge of the contemporary Italian practice that he brought to France upon his return.

Most likely he worked for Marie de Lorraine, duchesse de Guise on his return to France, as her house composer, until her death in 1688. During this time he composed a considerable quantity of dramatic secular vocal works, as well as Psalm settings, hymns, a Magnificat setting, a mass, and motets, which he called stories and canticum.

 Music, style and influence

His compositions include oratorios, masses, operas, and numerous smaller pieces that are difficult to categorize. Many of his smaller works for one or two voices and instruments resemble the Italian cantata of the time, and share most features except for the name: Charpentier calls them air sérieux or air à boire if they are in French, but cantata if they are in Italian.

Modern significance

The prelude to his Te Deum, H. 146, a rondeau, is well-known as the signature tune for the European Broadcasting Union, heard in the opening credits of the Vienna New Year's Concert, the Eurovision Song Contest and other Eurovision events. This theme was also the intro to the Olympiad films of Bud Greenspan.

Charpentier's works

Charpentier's compositions were catalogued by Hugh Wiley Hitchcock in his Les Oeuvres de Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Catalogue Raisonné, (Paris: Picard, 1982); references to works are often accompanied by their H (for Hitchcock) number.

Operas

• Les amours d'Acis et Galatée, Lost, 1678?
• Les arts florissants, H. 487, 1685-6
• La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, H. 488; 1686-7
• Le jugement de Paris, (1690)
• Philomele, Lost, 1690
• Médée, H. 491; 1693

Biblical tragedies

• Celse Martyr, Music lost; P. Bretonneau's libretto published in 1687.
• David et Jonathas, H. 490, 1688. (Libretto by P. Bretonneau.)

Pastorales

• Petite Pastorale Eglogue de Bergers, H. 479; mid-1670s?
• Actéon, H. 481; 1684
• Il faut rire et chanter: Dispute de Bergers, H. 484; 1685
• La Fête de Ruel, H. 485; 1685
• La Couronne de Fleurs, H. 486; 1685
• Le Retour de Printemps, Lost.
• Cupido perfido dentr'al mio cor

Pastoraletta

• Amor Vince Ogni Cosa, H. 492

Incidental Theater Music

• Les Facheux, 1672. Music lost, drama by Molière.
• La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas, H. 494; 1672 (Drama by Molière.)
• Le Médecin malgré lui, music lost, date uncertain. (Drama by Molière)
• L'Inconnu, music lost; 1675 (Drama by Donneau de Visé and Thomas Corneille)
• Circé, H. 496; 1675. (Drama by Thomas Corneille; divertissements by Donneau de Visé.)
• Overture du prologue de l'Inconnu, H. 499; 1679?
• Andromède, H. 504; 1682 (Drama by Pierre Corneille)
• Vénus et Adonis, H. 507; 1685. (Drama by Donneau de Visé.)

Comédies-Ballet

• Le Mariage forcé (1672)
• Le Malade imaginaire (1672)
• Le Sicilien (1679)

Ballets

• Polyeucte, H. 498; 1679.

Divertissements

• Les Plaisirs de Versailles, H. 480; 1682
• Idylle sur le Retour de la Sante du Roi, H. 489; 1686-7

Interludes (Intermèdes)

• Le Triomphe des Dames (1676)
• La Pierre Philosophale (1681)
• Endymion (1681)
• Dialogues d'Angélique et de Médor (1685)

Sonatas

• Sonates à huit

Sacred Music

• Messe, (H. 1)
• Extremum Dei Judicium (H. 401)
• Messe de Minuit pour Noël (H. 9, c. 1690)
• Missa Assumpta est Maria (H. 11, 1698-1702)
• Litanies de la vierge (H. 83, 1683-1685)
• Te Deum (H. 146, c. 1690)
• Dixit Dominus (H. 204)
• In nativitatem Domini canticum (H. 416)
• Noëls (3) (H. 531 c. 1680)
• Noëls pour les instruments (H. 534, c. 1690)
• Precatio pro fillio regis(Offertory) (H. 166)
• Panis quem ego dabo(Elevation) (H. 275)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc-Antoine_Charpentier