A French Christmas Night
Music From the Parisian Chapels of the 17th Century
Charpentier–Daquin–Dandrieu
Marc Mauillon, taille and vocal coaching
Tuuli Lindeberg and Tuiki Järvensivu, dessus
Katariina Heikkilä and Teppo Lampela, haute-contre
Aarne Mansikka, taille
Tomi Punkeri and Veikko Vallinoja, basse-taille
Marianna Henriksson, harpsichord, organ and leader
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Marianna Henriksson and Marc Mauillon, programme planning
FiBO continues the popular Christmas concert series with a French programme. Marc Mauillon is the guest expert on French music. The singer, who performs as both baritone and tenor, has worked with renowned conductors specialising in French repertoire, including William Christie, Emmanuelle Haïm, and Marc Minkowski. Mauillon has also taught medieval singing at the University of Paris. The centrepiece of the Christmas programme is Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Messe de minuit pour Noël (1694), the Midnight Mass for Christmas.
Rather than brilliant trumpets, Charpentier’s mass features the nocturnal delicacy of flutes and viols. Multi-voiced choirs, solo passages for small ensembles, and delightful instrumental numbers display the composer’s impeccable rhetorical sensibility. Melodies borrowed from well-known Christmas carols bring us to the very heart of the French Christmas. Parody masses, or contrafacta – setting new texts to familiar music – had a centuries-old tradition behind them.
Charpentier (1643–1704) once said that for him, music had become “a small honour but a heavy burden”. Though one of the key French Baroque composers, he never received an official post at the royal court. However, his work as musical director at Paris’ Jesuit church of Saint-Louis left a large body of sacred music for posterity. Charpentier also gained greater recognition as an opera composer after Jean-Baptiste Lully’s royal monopoly came to an end.
Charpentier’s motets invite us to forget the burdens of daily life and come together at a shared table. A selection of his instrumental Christmas music, along with sung Gregorian chants, gives shape to the flow of the concert programme.
Duration: 1 h 45 min (incl. intermission)
The Järvenpää concert is organized in co-operation between FiBO, Järvenpää's cultural and event services and Järvenpää parish.
FiBO's artistic planner Marianna Henriksson introduces the concert at the House of Nobility on 21 December from 5 pm to 5.30 pm.
JÄRVENPÄÄ
Tickets 24,50 € (normal) / 22 € (group ticket, over 10 persons) / 16 € (students and children under 16 years): Järvenpää-talo, Lippupiste's points of purchase and lippu.fi
HELSINKI
Tickets 15/29/37/52 € (price according to the seat) including handling costs + 1,5 € delivery fee per order: Ticketmaster's points of purchase and ticketmaster.fi
Student tickets at the door 10 €
Series tickets for the residency series of the House of Nobility 72/92 € (price according to seat) including handling costs + 1,5 € delivery fee per order: Ticketmaster's points of purchase and ticketmaster.fi. Series tickets can be purchased until the series' first concert (October 8). Note! When you buy online, the system offers its best seat. If you want to choose a specific seat, it is possible at Ticketmaster's points of purchase.
Group offers and ticket inquieries: lippu@fibo.fi
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The House of Nobility is not fully accessible. There are steps at the entrance, and access from the lobby to the assembly hall, which serves as a concert venue on the second floor, is via stairs.
The accessible entrance is located at Hallituskatu 2 B. The doorman will open the door upon request. Please call him when you are at the door at +358 50 395 2349.
An accessible restroom is available on the second floor, next to the concert café area.