大象传媒

Donald Macleod delights over Marc-Antoine Charpentier's brilliantly evocative stage music, written for Moli猫re and his company of actors and his historical oratorio 'Mors Saulis et Jonathae'.

It's just a case of bad timing for Marc-Antoine Charpentier that he happened to be born a decade or so after Jean-Baptiste Lully. The manipulative king's favourite held a monopoly at the Sun King's court and in the theatres. Even after his death in 1687, Charpentier had to contend with back-biting from Lully's vociferous supporters. Happily Charpentier also possessed a big reputation and a band of loyal and well-to-do supporters. In a career spanning 35 years, he enjoyed a succession of plum jobs, writing in every kind of genre for some of the most influential patrons and establishments in Paris. Indeed, perhaps Lully's restrictive practices were inadvertently his making, affording Charpentier the kind of artistic freedom to write exactly what he wanted.

Charpentier got his big break in the theatre after a bust-up between the two leading artists of the day: Moli猫re, the master of theatrical comedy, and Jean-Baptiste Lully. For some years Charpentier supplied music for theatrical productions, notably 'Le Malade imaginaire' and 'Circ茅', which contained an unprecedented number of thrilling special effects. This innate mastery of drama lent itself perfectly to setting the Old Testament story of the Death of Saul and Jonathan. Presented by Donald Macleod.

Le Malade imaginaire (excerpts)
Overture; Premier Interm锚de
Howard Crook (tenor), Spacamond
Dominique Visse (countertenor,) La Vielle
Alain Tr茅tout (actor), Polichinelle
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, director

Circ茅, H 496 (Instrumental music)
London Baroque
Charles Medlam, director

Mors Saulis et Jonathae, H 403, (Part Two)
Peter Kooy, Samuel
Klaus Mertens, Saul
Choir 1: Barbara Schlick, soprano; Kai Wessel, countertenor;
Christoph Pr茅gardien, tenor; Peter Kooy, bass
Choir 2: Nancy Zijlstra, soprano; Dominique Visse, countertenor: Harry van Berne, tenor; Klaus Mertens, bass
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra
Ton Koopman, director

La Pierre philosophale
Teresa Wakim (soprano), La Petite Gnomide
Zachary Wilder (tenor,) Un Silphe
Lydia Brotherton (soprano), Le Feu
Olivier Laquerre (bass-baritone), L'Eau
Boston Early Music Festival Vocal and Chamber Ensembles
Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors.