Leçons de Tenebres

Among the many significant rites that characterise the liturgy of Holy Week, the one that perhaps outshone the others in terms of evocative power was precisely the so-called Office of Darkness, dense in music, very long in duration, very poor in light.

Throughout the history of music, many composers have written numerous Lessons for Holy Week, setting the texts of the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah to music.

This concert will attempt to reproduce - in a slightly reduced format - that liturgy, juxtaposing François Couperin's Leçons de Tenebres with antiphons and psalms from the Gregorian repertoire.