Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Esther & Judith

St. Mark's Episcopal, Palo Alto 03.06.15 8:00PM
First Congregational, Berkeley 03.07.15 8:00PM
St. Mark's Lutheran, San Francisco 03.08.15 4:00PM

Catherine Webster, soprano Laura Heimes, soprano Andrew Rader, countertenor Daniel Hutchings, countertenor Peter Becker, bass Vicki Boeckman, recorder Louise Carslake, recorder Rob Diggins, violin Jolianne von Einem, violin John Dornenburg, viola da gamba Jillon Stoppels Dupree, harpsichord

In March, Magnificat will present two oratorios by Marc-Antoine Charpentier that set stories of powerful women from the Old Testament - providing an opportunity to feature two of our sopranos: Catherine Webster and Laura Heimes.

It is in the genre of the Latin oratorio, or histoire sacrée, that Charpentier made his most distinctive contribution to French Baroque music and it is in the oratorio that the composer reflects most clearly the influence of his teacher Iacomo Carissimi. Charpentier’s keen sensitivity to the drama and emotional depth of the narrative are sharply displayed in the two oratorios Magnificat will perform: Historia Esther and Judith sive Bethulia liberata. Each of the oratorios will be performed from new editions prepared by Magnificat Advisory Board member John Powell.

Program: Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Historia Esther and Judith sive Bethulia liberata