Charpentier may never have enjoyed the patronage of Louis XIV, but his prodigious talents were widely recognized by Paris’ musical connoisseurs. It was through his aristocratic patrons that he was able to visit Rome during the mid-1660s and study the latest Italian styles, particularly the oratorios of Carissimi and the art of writing for multiple choirs, which left a lasting impression on his music. Born in 1643 and based in Paris, he maintained a freelance career composing for private households and chapels, the theater, several religious orders, and, from 1698, services at the Sainte-Chapelle, where he was director of music until his death in 1704. His sacred music therefore predominates, with nearly 500 pieces in a wide range of forms, including 35 dramatic motets (really mini oratorios, like Mors Saülis et Jonathae), 11 mass settings (one for four choirs), and the great “Te Deum in D Major, H. 146: No. 1, Prélude, Marche en rondeau,” which is today most famous as the Eurovision Song Contest theme. His theatrical masterpiece is the full-length opera Médée (1693).