Charpentier: David et Jonathas, H.490

Description

In 1688, the Jesuit college Louis-le-Grand presented David and Jonathas, a lyric tragedy from the pen of Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Intended for the students of the institution, it depicts the fratricidal friendship of David and Jonathas, in the hands of an implacable destiny and a cruel struggle for power. Charpentier achieves both an expressive peak and an aesthetic counter-model to the Lullian archetype, leaving full room for drama and the psychology of the characters. The last discographic achievement of Olivier Schneebeli, this album stands out for its exclusive use of children's and men's voices - the soloists, almost all from the maîtrise and today among the most brilliant singers of their generations. Standing out is the Jonathas of Natacha Boucher, striking in innocence and deeply moving in sincerity.