Praise and Wonder

Description

From the gorgeous baroque sounds of Bach and Charpentier, to the groundbreaking minimalist 20th century sound of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, our first concert will be a study in contrasts.

Written in the key of D major (the “key of glory” in Baroque music), French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum has become one of the composer’s best-known works, notably for the instrumental prelude featuring timpani and brass.

Arvo Pärt’s intimate Magnificat, composed in 1989, is sung a cappella and showcases his self-invented compositional technique, tintinnabuli (like ringing of bells), a simple style inspired in part by Gregorian chant.

In contrast to the minimalist, shimmering sounds of Pärt, Johann Sebastian Bach’s rich and jubilantly orchestrated Magnificat completes this concert program. As with the Te Deum for Charpentier, this Magnificat has become one of Bach’s best known and loved choral works.

We will be performing at the American Cathedral in Paris, with Les Enfants d’Apollon, a baroque orchestra playing on period-style instruments.

* Tickets purchased at the door on the evening of the concert are €25 per ticket