Le Poème Harmonique & Capella Cracoviensis

The first concert or more precisely, musical performance by Le Pome Harmonique, founded by Vincent Dumestre in 1998, is so vivid in our memories that it seems strange that it was way back in 2012 that we welcomed the ensemble as our guest at Müpa Budapest. We have long looked forward to the moment that we can once again see and hear an ensemble known for its extraordinary performances and interesting repertoire, and that moment has now arrived. Two splendid masterpieces of the French Baroque era feature on the programme. Though it has become hugely popular, Marc-Antoine Charpentiers Te Deum was only rediscovered in the middle of the 20th century. Jean-Baptiste Lullys sacred work, set to the same text, was composed to mark the recovery from illness of Louis XIV, and it was while conducting a performance of the work that the composer injured his foot, which became gangrenous and led to his death. An interesting aspect of this concert is that the world-renowned French early music instrumental ensemble will be joined by Polands most dynamically developing purveyors of historical performance. The strength of Capella Cracoviensis, which comprises an orchestra and choir, is its regular and close cooperation with formations of a similar profile in other European countries, through which it can lay claim to being an ensemble recognised as part of the very lifeblood of the European early music scene.