Charles d'Helfer (1598–1661) was a French baroque composer and ''maître de musique'' at Soissons Cathedral. His masses follow a strict one syllable per note style. He is best remembered for his requiem for four voices of 1656 which was used for the funeral of composer Michel Richard Delalande in 1726 and was the basis of Julien-Amable Mathieu (1734-1811) and François Giroust's requiem mass for

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

in 1775.Revue de musicologie: Volume 86 Société française de musicologie - 2000 "La Missa pro Defunctis de Charles d'Helfer sera en effet intimement liée aux cérémonies accompagnant les rites funéraires du défunt roi. Julien-Aimable Mathieu, maître de chapelle en charge du premier semestre de l'année ... Giroust était alors en charge du premier semestre à la chapelle royale. La cérémonie comprit bien entendu un De profundis"

Works

* ''Missa quatuor vocum ad imitationem moduli Benedicam Dominum'', Paris 1653 * ''Missa pro defunctis quatuor vocum'', Paris 1656 * ''Missa quatuor vocum ad moduli Lorsque d'un désir curieux'', Paris 1658 * ''Missa sex vocum ad imitationem moduli In aeternum cantabo'', Paris 1658 * ''Vespres et Hymnes de l'année avec plusieurs motets du St. Sacrement, de la Vierge des SS. et patrons de lieux etc à 4 parties'', Paris 1660 * ''Missa quatuor vocum ad imitationem moduli Deliciae Regum'', Paris 1664 * ''Missa sex vocum ad imitationem moduli Quid videbis in Sunamitae'', Paris 1674 * ''Missa quatuor vocibus ad imitationem moduli Laetatus sum'', Paris 1678

Recordings

* Requiem, with funeral oration for

Charles III, Duke of Lorraine Charles III (18 February 1543 – 14 May 1608), known as ''the Great'', was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death. Life He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark. In 1545, his father died, a ...

(d.1608). A Sei Voci. 1994

References

Sources

Jean-Paul C. Montagnier, ''The Polyphonic Mass in France, 1600-1780: The Evidence of the Printed Choirbooks,'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. 1598 births 1661 deaths French Baroque composers 17th-century French classical composers French male classical composers 17th-century French male musicians {{France-composer-stub