Marc-Antoine Charpentier - La Peste de Milan, H.398 (Daucé)

Ensemble Correspondances, Sébastien Daucé, pf Recorded in 2014 Marc-Antoine Charpentier was a French composer who lived from 1643-1704. He was the son of a scribe and received a good education. He spent a few years in Rome, where he studied with the Italian composer Giacomo Carissimi. Upon his return to France, Charpentier began working as a composer for Marie de Lorraine, duchesse de Guise. He composed a significant amount of vocal music for her, including Psalm settings, hymns, motets, a Magnificat setting, a mass, and an oratorio. He also worked for Mlle de Guise for about 17 years. In the late 1680s, Mlle de Guise died and Charpentier lost his position at her court. He then began working for the Jesuits and was eventually appointed as music director at the Jesuit college in Paris, where he remained until his death. Charpentier is known for his vocal music, particularly his sacred works, and for his operas and pastorales in French. This piece is also referred to as "Pestis Mediolanensis". His H. 398 work was written in 1679 Video Protected Under Fair Use