MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER

Leçons de Ténèbres de la Semaine Sainte de 1692 (H.135, H.136, H.137)
01 Troisième Leçon de Ténèbres du Mercredy Saint
02 Troisième Leçon de Ténèbres du Jeudy Saint
03 Troisième Leçon de Ténèbres du Vendredy Saint

Cinq Méditations pour le Carême (H.380, H.381, H.386, H.388, H.387)
04 1ère Méditation: «Desolatione desolata est terra»
05 2ème Méditation: «Sicut pullus hirundinis sic clamabo»
06 7ème Méditation: «Tenebræ factæ sunt» 07 9ème Méditation: «Sola vivebat in antris Magdalena lugens»
08 8ème Méditation: «Stabat Mater dolorosa»

It will not escape anyone’s attention that Hervé Niquet harbours a special predilection for Charpentier. Only a few months after the publication of his Te Deum and coinciding with the launching of the Messe de Monsieur de Mauroy, Le Concert Spirituel now offers us three Lessons of Tenebrae for male voices from the cycle dated 1692. The configuration here is first-class and is formed by 6 singers and 13 instrumentalists.

Between 1670 and 1692 Charpentier wrote more than thirty Lessons of Tenebrae. His Lessons clearly differ from all other contemporary compositions because of their sincere expression of Christian sentiments as opposed to the mundane exercises into which this genre had fallen by the end of the 17th century. This fact is admirably described in the booklet essay by Jean-Yves Patte.

The three Lessons of Tenebrae are followed by five Meditations, works possibly written to accompany the long sermons during the days of Lent. Tremendously rich and varied, they may be considered authentic musical jewels.