Couperin: Magnificat / Lecons De Tenebres

Featuring

Robin Blaze
Daniel Taylor
Jonathan Manson
Laurence Cummings
François Couperin

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Historical Context

In Louis XIV's France, the Leçons de Ténèbres were a significant musical event, particularly observed in convents during Holy Week.

Composer Biography

François Couperin, known as 'Le Grand,' was a principal organist at Saint-Gervais in Paris and the Chapelle Royale, and a keyboard teacher for royal princes and princesses.

Composition History

The text for the Leçons de Ténèbres comes from the Old Testament's Book of Lamentations, attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, and evokes the destruction of Jerusalem.

Cultural Impact

Due to the popularity of the Leçons de Ténèbres, female opera singers, available during Holy Week when theaters were closed, were invited to perform, transforming an austere service into a secular event.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Couperin, who wrote 'I love that which moves me far more than that which surprises me,' avoided powerful and heavy music, focusing instead on intimate works like his harpsichord pieces, chamber music, and vocal works.

Compositional Technique

Couperin's Leçons de Ténèbres blend Gregorian, French, and Italian styles, incorporating vocalized Hebrew letters, French ornaments, and Italianate musical effects to translate the text's meaning.

Historical Context

The original Leçons de Ténèbres liturgy was sung in the early morning darkness (matins) and involved extinguishing 15 candles one by one, symbolizing Christ's abandonment by the Apostles.