Early Music Missouri continues its collaborative presentations with the St. Louis Art Museum on December 13 with a festive holiday concert of Baroque music by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. One of the most innovative composers of the 17th century, Charpentier served as a composer and performer in a number of Paris’s most important churches and private chapels in the 17th century and regularly composed music for the Christmas season. In addition to music for church services, Charpentier also arranged numerous traditional noëls for instrumental performance.
The performance is part of SLAM’s Free Festive Fridays when the museum is open late and admission to special exhibitions and events is free. The concert will take place in Farrell Auditorium on the Lower Level of the Museum.
Early Music Missouri’s Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra join forces for a charming cantata that depicts the story of the shepherds at the first Christmas. The orchestra of strings, recorders, Baroque guitars and lute also performs a set of Charpentier’s rustic noëls before the full ensemble presents Charpentier’s famous Messe de minuit, a Christmas mass based on noël melodies.
EMMo performers are experts in the field of historical performance practices and bring to life the sounds of 17th-century Paris. The musicians will discuss and describe the music, their historical instruments and other aspects of historical performance. Listeners will have opportunities to ask questions and to see the instruments up close.
Early Music Missouri is the region’s foremost promoter and presenter of Early Music concerts. Its performances feature Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque repertoire performed on period instruments by expert performers from the region and nation. For more information about Early Music Missouri, visit our website earlymusicmissouri.com
