Sounding the Trumpets for Charpentier's Te Deum Prelude
The Best Moments
Te Deum in D major, H. 146: I. Prelude
Hello, I am Charpentier, and I would love to guide you through the best moments of my Te Deum Prelude. Here you will hear how I alternate a proud ceremonial march with gentler passages so the festive fanfare stays fresh from start to finish. On this site I also help you recognize our music alongside the other composers, so feel free to visit our Trainer whenever you like.
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Waking Up the Whole Parish
I start my Te Deum Prelude in the bright key of D major—which I once wrote down is both joyful and very warlike—sending the trumpet and timpani marching right through the front door like a friend who shows up to dinner in full parade dress. Those opening bars are so proud and catchy that in 1954 the European Broadcasting Union turned them into the Eurovision Theme, though I promise I wasn't picturing television broadcasts when I wrote it in Paris in the 1690s.
Giving the Trumpet Player a Breather
In the middle of the piece, I tell the trumpet and timpani to take a seat for a moment so the strings, flutes, and oboes can finally get a word in edgewise. Because I shaped the movement as a Marche en rondeau, that big fanfare keeps coming back between these gentler episodes like an enthusiastic uncle who refuses to let a good story end.
Clearing the Stage for the Choir
I bring the Te Deum Prelude to a close by inviting the whole instrumental ensemble—trumpet, timpani, flutes, oboes, strings, and basso continuo—back together for one last grand refrain. We finish with a ringing final chord that leaves the church of Saint-Louis wide awake, just in time for the eight vocal soloists and the choir to stand up and start the actual singing.
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I hope you had fun looking closely at my favorite moments in Te Deum Prelude, and that the music sounds even livelier to you the next time those opening fanfares strike up. Even after walking through these highlights, there is still plenty more to uncover about Te Deum Prelude, from the grand ceremonial service it opens to how the manuscript sat quietly in Paris for centuries before being rediscovered in 1953. Feel free to follow the links on this page if you would like to keep exploring the story behind Te Deum Prelude.
Recording: Ian Dollins, CC0