Arcangelo’s latest recording overflows with all the elegance and beauty that makes Charpentier’s music so appealing. It’s hard to believe that in the composer’s lifetime his masterly synthesis of French and Italian styles caused passionate arguments for and against. In this generous and varied program numerous aspects of Charpentier’s art are on display.

Litanies de la Vierge is the composer’s only setting of the Litany of Loreto not written for his Jesuit employers. Composed for the wealthy and devout Mademoiselle de Guise (who boasted a considerable musical ensemble of about 15 performers), Charpentier was able to deploy the six voice parts in a variety of creative combinations and textures.