SSB choir and organ
SKU: CA.2101903
Composed by Marc-Antoine
Charpentier. Edited by
Inge Forst. Arranged by
Paul Horn. French Sacred
Music. German title: In
circumcisione Domini.
Cantatas, Christmas. Full
score. H 316. Duration 5
minutes. Carus Verlag #CV
21.019/03. Published by
Carus Verlag
(CA.2101903).
ISBN
9790007161446. Language:
Latin.
Marc-Antoine
Charpentier not only
originated the Eurovision
Melody, rather he also
made an important
contribution to French
sacred music from the
baroque with his
oratorios, motets and
cantatas. The four
cantatas for the season
of Christmas (CV
21.019-21.022) are now
published in first
editions. The Latin texts
of these works for
Christmas, the New Year,
Epiphany, and the
Purification are based on
the accounts of the
Gospels, which are
paraphrased in the form
of poetic texts. As in
Charpentier's extensive
Histoires sacrees, the
musical structure is
oratorical, with a part
for the evangelist and
texts spoken directly by
biblical personages and
groups of people (angels,
Herodes, shepherds, wise
men). In each work the
vocal scoring includes
two sopranos and a bass
(those passages where a
number of voices sing
together can be performed
either by soloists or by
a choir). With this
uniform scoring it would
be meaningful to perform
these works as a cycle,
in the manner of a small
Christmas oratorio. Score
available separately -
see item CA.2101900.