You’d think that Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Midnight Mass, in which the composer ingeniously incorporates 11 carol melodies into the work’s liturgical context, would be far more popular as a choice for Christmas performances both in churches and in concert. Its economical scoring for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, and its very attractive sonorities and relatively undemanding technical requirements make it not only extremely listener-friendly, but invite performance by a wide range of singers and instrumental ensembles. It’s a charming work–and a very effective one that engages its musical and textual forces to maximum impact. On this recording, the performers insert several of Charpentier’s “Noëls sur les instruments” among the vocal/choral sections, a nice touch that gives us an opportunity to enjoy these delightful little orchestral carol arrangements from the period. I have to admit that this cleanly articulated, rhythmically vibrant, and luminously recorded version from William Christie and his Les Arts Florissants rivals my previously most favored reading from George Guest and the Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge (Chandos) from 1988, which seems to be no longer available.
However, the thing that really sells this disc is the inclusion of one of Charpentier’s Christmas oratorios, In Nativitatem Domino Canticum. Again, it’s puzzling as to why such works aren’t more often presented: no, it’s not Messiah or Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, but it’s full of wonderful music–great tunes, colorful orchestration, lovely choral sections–that never falters in its presentation of the story that focuses on the angels’ annunciation followed by the awakening and journey of shepherds to Bethlehem. Christie and his reliable vocal and instrumental collaborators really capture the alluring, enchanting atmosphere inherent in these scores, features that remind us how perfectly Charpentier reflected the elegant simplicity of his subject. [11/16/2001]
