Marc-Antoine Charpentier (Oxford Studies of Composers)

Marc-Antoine Charpentier is emerging from long neglect as the most important comtemporary of Lully and this work sets out to provide an introduction to the composer and his music. Born in Paris in about 1645, Charpentier studied in Rome with Carissimi. On returning to Paris his career was severely hampered by French nationalistic prejudice of his Italianate style and by intense rivalry with Lully, but he was nevertheless employed by Moliere to write incidental music for the troupe which became the Comedie Francaise. This long association gave rise to such works as the prologue and "intermedes" for "Le Malade Imaginaire". The Jesuits appointed him music master at St Louis, their principal church, for which and for various other Jesuit colleges he produced a number of small-scale sacred dramas. In 1698 he became master of the music of Sainte-Chapelle, for which he wrote many of his finest religious motets and oratorios.