Couperin: Lecons de Tenebres

La Sfera Armoniosa

CCS SA 20306

The nine laments of the prophet Jeremiah from the Old Testament are among the most impressive texts of the Bible. In vivid, painful language, Jeremiah mourns the occupation and destruction of the city of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple and the expulsion of the Jews. In the Roman Catholic Church, these laments were originally sung in Gregorian chant in the monks' Liturgy of the Hours during Holy Week. Since the 15th century many settings have been created, among which the highly expressive compositions of Thomas Tallis and Orlando di Lasso stand out. François Couperin, organist at the Parisian church of St. Gervaise and at the royal chapel of Louis XIV since 1685, arranges the funeral chants in poignant simplicity as elaborate recitative singing for one or two high voices with instrumental accompaniment. The individual verses are preceded by Hebrew letters as a cipher, they resound in richly ornamented singing as does the call to the people of God: "Jerusalem, convert to the Lord your God", which concludes each leçon with great urgency. Presumably Couperin set all nine lamentations of Jeremiah to music, unfortunately only three of them have survived.

SACD

Muzyka klasyczna

Channel Classics

03-07-2006

723385203063