IDAGIO | Clérambault: Miserere - Couperin: Leçons de ténèbres 3760014199578

Featuring

Vincent Dumestre
Hasnaa Bennani
Claire Lefilliâtre
Isabelle Druet
Sylvia Abramowicz
Frédéric Rivoal

Le Poème Harmonique
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault
François Couperin

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Composition History

Couperin's Leçons de Ténèbres were likely composed and published between 1713 and 1717, with the three pieces for Holy Wednesday being the only ones published.

Interpretation

Le Poème Harmonique, the ensemble on this recording, adds a theorbo to the continuo, an instrument continuously used by the Royal Chapel in the 18th century.

Recording & Production

This recording was made in the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles, where music once accompanied daily court life from sunrise to sunset.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Couperin aimed to unite French and Italian musical tastes, which were often at odds during his time, as evidenced in works like his Concerts Royaux and Les Nations.

Historical Context

Louis XIV, as a devout king, intended the Royal Chapel at Versailles to be a highly visible public place of worship within his royal residence.

Composer Biography

François Couperin, often called 'Couperin the Great', was the most eminent member of a long dynasty of musicians, serving as Royal Organist and music teacher to the children of the royal family.

Compositional Technique

Clérambault's Miserere, written for three equal upper voices, creates intense dissonances due to the close range and timbre of the voices, particularly in the opening chorus.