Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Neuf Leçons De Tenebres

1. Première leçon de ténèbres du mercredi saint, motet for baritone voice, instruments & continuo, H. 120
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica , Kurt Widmer
Conducted by Louis Devos

2. Première leçon de ténèbres du mercredi saint, motet for bass voice, instrument & continuo, H. 121 {Leçons pour les Jésuites)
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica , Kurt Widmer
Conducted by Louis Devos

3. Première leçon de ténèbres du vendredi saint, motet for bass voice, instruments & continuo, H. 122
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica , Kurt Widmer
Conducted by Louis Devos

4. Troisième leçon de ténèbres du mercredi saint, motet for for baritone voice, instruments & continuo, H. 123
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica , Michel Verschaeve
Conducted by Louis Devos

5. Troisième leçon de ténèbres du jeudi saint, motet for baritone voice, instruments & continuo, H. 124 (Leçons pour les Jésuites)
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica , Michel Verschaeve
Conducted by Louis Devos

6. Troisième leçon de ténèbres du vendredi saint, motet for baritone voice, instruments & continuo, H. 125
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica , Michel Verschaeve
Conducted by Louis Devos

7. Troisième leçon de ténèbres du mercredi saint, motet for 5 vocal soloists, instruments & continuo, H. 135
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica
Conducted by Louis Devos

8. Troisième leçon de ténèbres du jeudi saint, motet for soloists, 2 flutes, 2 violins & continuo, H. 136
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica
Conducted by Louis Devos

9. Troisième leçon de ténèbres de vendredi saint, motet for 3 vocal soloists, instruments & continuo, H. 137
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
with Musica Polyphonica
Conducted by Louis Devos

Tracks:

Antienne (Astiterunt)
Psaume 26: Dominus Illuminatio Mea
Premiere Lecon
Premier Repons: Tanquam Ad Latronem
Deuxieme Lecon
Deuxieme Repons: Jerusalem Surge
Troisieme Lecon
Troisieme Repons: Vinea Mea Electa
Psaume 50: Miserere

Customer Reviews:

Intimate, emotional, spiritual ... and breathtaking.......2004-10-25

This is one of those rare CD productions for which even Amazon's top evaluation of five stars seems stingy, for it achieves a level of 'perfection' (if such a thing is possible in such a subjective area as music) that merits distinction above and beyond the praise one would normally lavish on a successful recording. Let me try and justify this remark with some facts: Firstly, there is Charpentier's music. Over the last 30 years or so, there has been a revival of Baroque music which has gone hand in hand with the re-discovery of certain composers who had almost been forgotten. One of these was Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704), second in the 17th century French pecking order only to Lully. Charpentier's prolific output for the stage has been made known to a wider public chiefly through the efforts of William Christie. His sacred music has been slower to find interpreters, but first progress was made by René Jacobs and Philippe Herreweghe with recordings of motets. The 'Leçons de ténèbres' were written for Holy Week, there being in Catholic France a tradition of reading or singing passages from the Lamentations of Jeremiah on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before Easter. The most famous 'Leçons' were by Michel Lambert and François Couperin, but Charpentier, too, wrote quite a large amount of music for the services associated with these readings (which were sung not only by monks and nuns, but also by opera singers). Charpentier's miniatures are based on the original Gregorian melodies but combined with the Italianate style for which he was famed, the scores being carefully marked to show the singers how to perform the elaborate vocal decorations of the numerous melismas. The whole is given an instrumental accompaniment that can vary according to the availability of instruments and musicians. This is music of incredible high beauty.

Secondly, there is the performance and/or interpretation, which I can only describe as exquisite. Gérard Lesne, known for his natural-sounding countertenor, is here joined by an excellent team of vocalists. The introductory Gregorian chant is brilliantly mastered by bass Jacques Bona; the first 'Leçon' is given breathtaking treatment by French soprano Agnès Mellon, whose soft, sensuous voice (known to many listeners for her part in Philippe Herreweghe's recording of Bach's 'Magnificat') seems absolutely ideal for this intimate, emotional and spiritual music. The inclusion on this CD of some of Charpentier's three-part compositions of the Hebrew letters of the alphabet is an extra goodie: they are beautiful beyond description. As are also the instrumental introductions to individual sections, where the combination of treble viol, recorder, bass violin and organ can, on occasion, be almost ecstatic. One or two unaccompanied sections of Gregorian chant achieve much the same effect, so that this CD is, in sum, a real winner.

Thirdly, there is a more than adequate booklet. The Good Friday volume contains only one introductory essay (the Wednesday and Thursday have two), but it is informative and helpful, and here, too, all the texts are printed in Latin, French, English and German. The whole production reveals considerable musicological expertise, as many of Charpentier's works are still only available in manuscript.

Last but not least there is the excellent recorded sound which leaves absolutely nothing to be desired.

Charpentier: Leçons de Ténèbres du Jeudy Sainct

Average customer rating:

Settings of Lamentations by a baroque master

Charpentier: Leçons de Ténèbres du Jeudy Sainct

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005B6RL
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Settings of Lamentations by a baroque master.......2002-07-20

Given the number of recordings of Charpentier's tenebres available one might think that they had been done to death. Wrong. In fact Charpentier wrote so many beautiful settings of these latin texts that the recordings by Jacobs (3CDs), Lesne (3CDs), Gester (1CD) and now Niquet (1CD) hardly contain any overlaps at all. None of the three lecons de tenebres recorded here have ever been re-recorded elsewhere. A listing of recordings (by Hitchcock numbers) is as follows:

92 3ème leçon du Mercredi Gester
93 3ème leçon du Jeudi Gester
96 1ère leçon du Mercredi Jacobs
95 3ème leçon du Vendredi Lesne
95 3ème leçon du Vendredi Gester
97 2ème leçon du Mercredi Jacobs
98 3ème leçon du Mercredi Jacobs
102 1ère leçon du Jeudi Jacobs
103 2ème leçon du Jeudi Jacobs
104 3ème leçon du Jeudi Jacobs
105 1ère leçon du Venredi Jacobs
105 1ère leçon du Venredi Lesne
106 3ème leçon du Venredi Jacobs
110 3ème leçon du Venredi Jacobs
111 In monte Oliveti Jacobs
112 Tristis est anima mea Jacobs
113 Amicus meus Jacobs
115 Eram quasi agnus Gester
117 Seniores populi Lesne
119 O Juda Gester
120 1ère leçon du Mercredi Lesne
121 1ère leçon du Jeudi Lesne
126 Tristis est anima mea Lesne
128 Velum templum scissum Lesne
130 Jerusalem surge Lesne
131 Ecce quomodo Lesne
133 Tanquam ad latronem Lesne
134 O vos omnes Gester
135 3ème leçon du Mercredi Niquet
136 3ème leçon du Jeudi Niquet
136 3ème leçon du Jeudi Lesne
137 3ème leçon du Vendredi Niquet
138 2ème leçon du Mercredi Lesne
139 2ème leçon du Jeudi Lesne
140 3ème leçon du Venredi Lesne
141 3ème leçon du Mercredi Lesne
144 Omnes amici mei Lesne

Jacobs on this disc does not include antiphons or other liturgical pieces (unlike Gester and Lesne), nor does his own alto voice feel as assured as Lesne's, nevertheless this is a lovely serene and sombre recording of these works and a good introduction to the whole genre. Other composers of tenebres include Sermisy, Lambert, and perhaps most famously Delalande.

Charpentier: Lecons de Tenebres. Office du Mercredi Saint H.120, 117, 138, 126, 141, 131, 173
Average customer rating:

Beyond Praise ... Bewitching!

Charpentier: Lecons de Tenebres. Office du Mercredi Saint H.120, 117, 138, 126, 141, 131, 173

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Charpentier: Te Deum [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B00000DNFG
Release Date: 2002-12-23

Tracks:

Avertantur Retrorsum
Premiere Lecon
Premiere Repons Seniores Populi
Seconde Lecon
Second Repons Tristis Est Anima Mea
Troisieme Lecon
Troisieme Repons Ecce Quomodo
Psume 50 Miserere

Customer Reviews:

Beyond Praise ... Bewitching! .......2004-10-22

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704): Lecons de ténèbres. Office du Mercredi Saint (Tenebrae for the Wednesday in Holy Week). Performed by Catherine Greuillet and Caroline Pelon (sopranos), Gérard Lesne (haute-contre = high tenor), Christopher Purves (basse-taille = baritone); Il Seminario Musicale (recorders, treble viols; bass viol; theorbo; violone; bassoon; chamber organ). Directed by Gérard Lesne. Recorded at the Abbaye de Fontevraud, France, in April 1994. Published 1995 by EMI France on the Virgin Classics label (7243 5 45107 2 4).Total time: 63'52".

This is one of those rare CD productions for which even Amazon's top evaluation of five stars seems stingy, for it achieves a level of 'perfection' (if such a thing is possible in such a subjective area as music) that merits distinction above and beyond the praise one would normally lavish on a successful recording. Let me try and justify this remark with some facts: Firstly, there is Charpentier's music. Over the last 30 years or so, there has been a revival of Baroque music which has gone hand in hand with the re-discovery of certain composers who had almost been forgotten. One of these was Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 - 1704), second in the 17th century French pecking order only to Lully. Charpentier's prolific output for the stage has been made known to a wider public chiefly through the efforts of William Christie. His sacred music has been slower to find interpreters, but first progress was made by René Jacobs and Philippe Herreweghe with recordings of motets. The 'Lecons de ténèbres' were written for Holy Week, there being in Catholic France a tradition of reading or singing passages from the Lamentations of Jeremiah on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before Easter. The most famous 'Lecons' were by Michel Lambert and Francois Couperin, but Charpentier, too, wrote quite a large amount of music for the services associated with these readings (which were sung not only by monks and nuns, but also by opera singers). Charpentier's miniatures are based on the original Gregorian melodies but combined with the Italianate style for which he was famed, the scores being carefully marked to show the singers how to perform the elaborate vocal decorations of the numerous melismas. The whole is given an instrumental accompaniment that can vary according to the availability of instruments and musicians. This is music of incredible high beauty.

Secondly, there is the performance and/or interpretation, which I can only describe as exquisite. Gérard Lesne, well-known for his natural-sounding countertenor, is here joined by baritone Christopher Purves and two sopranos, Catherine Greuillet (also a member of the 'Desmoiselles de Saint-Cyr' who produced the beautiful Charpentier CD 'Grace et grandeurs de la Vierge') and Caroline Pelon. They sing together and alternately in a way that both delights the senses and uplifts the soul, accompanied in a most sensitive way by Il Seminario Musicale, which here consists of well-known instrumental soloists (Pierre Hamon and Sébastien Marq, recorders; Philippe Pierlot, Ann-Marie Lasla and Sophie Watillon, viols; Pascal Monteilhet, theorbo; Bruno Cocset, violone; Claude Wassner, bassoon; and Jean-Charles Ablitzer, organ). The sound is delicate to the point of being bewitching, a treat for the ears.

Thirdly, there is the historical and musicological research which went into this recording and has yielded the two informative essays printed in the booklet, which also contains the full texts in Latin and in English, French and German plus all the information one could need about the instruments and about the recording venue, the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud.

And last but not least there is the superior sound engineering which yields a very realistic picture of what was happening during the performance. Congratulations to EMI France for this superb disc!