21 sep The King’s Consort
Leçons des ténèbres
The King’s Consort
Composed for the so-called office des ténèbres, the three Leçons des ténèbres by Couperin belong to some of the most emotionally potent pieces of music ever intended for performance in a sacred setting. The Catholic tradition of Tenebrae (Latin for “shadows” or “darkness”) involves the distinctive ceremony of gradually extinguishing candles, while a series of readings and psalms is chanted or recited. It has given birth to a whole repertoire of church music of which the Leçons des ténèbres by Couperin without doubt is one of the most powerful examples. Robert King and his dynamic King’s Consort ensemble’s newly released recording of this work together with the highly acclaimed Norwegian mezzo-soprano, Marianne-Beate Kielland, gives a personal and truly expressive reading of this masterpiece by Couperin, respecting the distinctive characteristics of the French Baroque Music. The concert takes place in the medieval Nidaros Cathedral.
Couperin, Lecons des ténèbres