The French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier studied with Carissimi in Rome and returned to Paris to win particular distinction as a champion of the Italian style. For Lully he proved a serious rival, but enjoyed the support of the King’s cousin, the Duchesse de Guise, and other members of the royal family.

Whatever theatrical ambitions Charpentier may have had, these were inevitably limited by the restrictive monopoly held by Lully, although he too collaborated with Molière and with the later Comédie Française. He made a particularly notable addition to the repertoire of French sacred music, significantly in his dramatic motets. His Christmas compositions include motets and arrangements of popular French carols or noëls.