SUBLIME. CHARMING. DIRECT.
In keeping with the spirit of Advent, two wonderful compositions will be performed at this concert: Bach’s cantata written for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Charpentier’s Latin-language ‘Midnight Mass for Christmas’ composed in 1694. Bach based his entire composition on religious folk songs, while Charpentier used French Christmas melodies known from midnight masses including some tunes that were considered manifestly secular in their day. Charpentier’s large-scale work is at once grand, sublime and charmingly direct. In 1926 a music historian wrote that Charpentier was the most outstanding composer of 17th-century French church music, who by far surpassed his Italian role models.
Program
J. S. Bach: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV. 1.
Charpentier: Messe de minuit pour Noel
Conductor
Máté Szabó Sipos
Artists
Márta Stefanik soprano
Júlia Balázs alto
Zoltán Megyesi tenor
Lóránt Najbauer bass
Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir
Photo: Hungarian Radio Choir ©Vörös Attila