Baroque opera: Marc-Antoine Charpentier's "David and Jonathas" by Ensemble INTENSO

At the foot of the mountains of Gilboe, where Israelites and Philistines clash, David's victory over the giant Goliath has contributed to the madness of Saul, king of Israel and father of Jonathas. Intoxicated by power and consumed by sick jealousy, Saul died in battle. Jonathas, too, died in the arms of his friend David, crushed by grief. By divine will, David becomes king of Israel. Composed for the students of the Louis-le-Grand Jesuit College in Paris, Marc-Antoine Charpentier's lyrical tragedy is an innovative work, with its emphasis on character psychology and majestic arias and choruses. The finesse of the musical composition carries the story through to its climax, with great emotional intensity.