Messe de minuit pour Noël
Messe de minuit pour Noël (Midnight mass for Christmas),[1] H.9,[a] is a mass for four voices and orchestra by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, written in 1694 based on the melodies of ten French Christmas carols. Charpentier called for eight soloists, a duo of two sopranos and two trios of alto, tenor and bass, but it can be performed by five soloists. Choir and orchestra are in four parts, scored for flutes, strings (violins and viols), organ and basso continuo. The mass is regarded as unique in both the composer's work and in the genre.[2] While in Charpentier's time, the mass was performed by all-male choirs, it has later been performed and recorded also by mixed choirs with modern instruments.
Messe de minuit pour Noël
Charpentier structured the mass in several movements.[2]: 2 He scored it for soloists and choir, two flutes, two violins, two violas, bass, organ and basso continuo.[1] In his wording, the voices are dessus, haute-contre (high tenor), taille (tenor) and bass, which were all male singers at his time. Modern performances also use SATB mixed choirs.[2] Charpentier called for instruments: "2 flutes, 2 violons, 2 altos, basses, orgue, et basse-continue. Flutes could be recorders which might correspond to pastoral music, but the range is better suited to flauto traverso; "violons" are violins; altos and tailles stand for alto and tenor viols; basses or "basses de choeur" mean a bass viol that goes with the vocal bass in choral movements.[2]: 12 The instrumental music is in four parts and basso continuo, with the flutes and violins playing in the soprano range. Some vocal parts are marked for soloists ("seule"), always in groups: a duo of two sopranos, or a trio of alto, tenor and bass. He thought of two of the trio groups, so eight soloists, but the music can also be performed by only one trio, which makes for five soloists, SSATB.[2]: 12 The mass takes about 25 minutes to perform.[1]
Some of the sections use a single carol, including Kyrie I, for which Charpentier quoted a cheerful carol first unchanged and repeated, then with different instrumentation and some imitation, then in two more again different treatments. In Kyrie II, he does not quote the carol completely but only the beginning for imitation music. He did not write a Kyrie III, but the organ would repeat the carol from Kyrie 1.[2]: 12
Recordings[edit]
The Messe de minuit pour Noël H.9 was recorded by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, and the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by David Willcocks in 1967,[5][6] and in 1988 by the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, and the City of London Sinfonia, conducted by George Guest.[3][7]
The mass was recorded, with other Christmas music (H.416) by Charpentier including four instrumental settings (H.531 n°2, H.534 n°3,4,6) of carols used in the mass, in 2002 by Les Arts Florissants Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by William Christie.[8][9]
The Messe de minuit H.9 was recorded, with other Christmas music (H.416, H.421, H.44, H.147) by Charpentier including two instrumental settings (H.534 n°3 & H.531 n°2) of carols used in the mass, in 2023 by L’Ensemble Corresondances conducted by Sèbastien Daucé. CD Harmonia Mundi.