Te Deum (Charpentier)
Te Deum | |
---|---|
by Marc-Antoine Charpentier | |
Key | D major |
Catalogue | H.146 |
Text | Te Deum |
Language | Latin |
Composed | 1692 | ?
Scoring |
|
Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed six Te Deum settings, but only four of them have survived.[1] Largely because of the great popularity of its prelude, the best known is the Te Deum in D major, H.146, written as a grand motet for soloists, choir, and instrumental accompaniment probably between 1688 and 1698, during Charpentier's stay at the Jesuit Church of Saint-Louis in Paris, where he held the position of musical director.[1]
It is thought that the composition was performed to mark the victory celebrations and the Battle of Steinkirk in August, 1692.[citation needed]
Structure
The composition consists of the following parts:
- Prelude (Marche en rondeau)[2]
- Te Deum laudamus (bass solo)
- Te aeternum Patrem (chorus and SSAT solo)
- Pleni sunt caeli et terra (chorus)
- Te per orbem terrarum (trio, ATB)
- Tu devicto mortis aculeo (chorus, bass solo)
- Te ergo quaesumus (soprano solo)
- Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis (chorus)
- Dignare, Domine (duo, SB)
- Fiat misericordia tua (trio, SSB)
- In te, Domine, speravi (chorus with ATB trio)
Charpentier considered the key D major as "bright and very warlike";[1] indeed D major was regarded as the "key of glory" in Baroque music. The instrumental introduction, composed in the form of rondo, precedes the first verset, led by the bass soloist. The choir and other soloists join gradually. Charpentier apparently intended to orchestrate the work according to the traditional exegesis of the Latin text. The choir thus predominates in the first part (verset 1–10, praise of God, heavenly dimension), and individual soloists in the second part (verset 11–20, Christological section, secular dimension). In subsequent versets, nos. 21–25, both soloists and choir alternate, and the final verset is a large-scale fugue written for choir, with a short trio for soloists in the middle.[1]
Orchestration
The composition is scored for choir (SATB) and 5 soloists (SSATB), accompanied with an instrumental ensemble of 2 alto recorders, 2 oboes, trumpet, low trumpet and timpani (playing the same part), 2 violins, 2 violas ("haute-contres de violon" and "tailles de violon") and basso continuo. The bass part is marked "orgue et [basse de] vi[ol]ons et bassons" ("organ and bass violins and bassoons") in the holograph manuscript.
The orchestral tutti is mostly constricted to 4 parts (all high wind instruments and violins playing the same line), while the vocal soloist sections make use of a lighter three-part instrumental texture including 2 recorders and basso continuo as well as 2 violins and basso continuo.
Cultural legacy
After the work's rediscovery in 1953 by French musicologist Carl de Nys, the instrumental prelude, Marche en rondeau, was chosen in 1954 as the theme music preceding the Eurovision network broadcasts of the European Broadcasting Union.[2] This version was arranged by Guy Lambert and directed by Louis Martini.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d Charpentier, Marc Antoine (2004). Te Deum (H.146). Vocal score. Translated by Taylor, Steve. Kassel: Bärenreiter Verlag. pp. v–viii. ISMN M-0006-52543-0
- ^ a b Fornäs, Johan (2011). Signifying europe. Bristol: Intellect Press. p. 187. ISBN 9781841505213.
- ^ Cessac, textes réunis par Catherine (2007). Les manuscrits autographes de Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Wavre: Mardaga. p. 6. ISBN 9782870099414.
External links
- Te Deum: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Free scores for Te Deum in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Pages using the Score extension
- Articles with short description
- Short description is different from Wikidata
- Articles containing Latin-language text
- All articles with unsourced statements
- Articles with unsourced statements from February 2022
- Articles containing French-language text
- Articles with hAudio microformats
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Works with IMSLP links
- Articles with International Music Score Library Project links
- Articles with VIAF identifiers
- Articles with BNE identifiers
- Articles with BNF identifiers
- Articles with BNFdata identifiers
- Articles with GND identifiers
- Articles with J9U identifiers
- Articles with LCCN identifiers
- Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers
- Compositions by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
- Te Deums
- 1692 compositions
- Music television series theme songs
- Eurovision Song Contest