Couperin: Trois Leçons de Ténèbres

King, Robert;
The King's Consort

VIVAT 102

Though best known as a composer for the harpsichord, François Couperin also composed motets, a Magnificat and at least three Leçons de Ténèbres. The last – composed for the nuns at Longchamp Abbey – were his only published sacred works (c1714) and provide striking, elegantly crafted settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah for Maundy Thursday, with sinuous settings of the initial Hebrew letters, compelling recitatives, chromatic arioso passages and glorious ‘Jerusalems’ to end. They have inspired numerous recordings since that of Alfred Deller (c1960), including the memorable 1978 LP with Judith Nelson, Emma Kirkby and Christopher Hogwood and the highly regarded 1997 CD with Sophie Daneman, Patricia Petibon and William Christie.The recording under consideration here is Robert King’s second bite at the cherry, having already recorded the Leçons with the countertenors James Bowman and Michael Chance in 2000.

CD

Muzyka klasyczna

Vivat

07-01-2015

610696074409