The most famous Leçons de Ténèbres are those of François Couperin, dating from 1714. At the end of the reign of Louis XIV, the sacred emotions composed by Couperin for his female singers would appear to have originated in an opera... In the Parisian convents, people made haste to listen to these divine voices singing the Lessons of Holy Week, the faceless voices of young convent recluses, voices from heaven... but more often Opera singers! The candles were extinguished as the Tenebrae service progressed, concluding in the darkness of the night... The Leçons by François Couperin, organist of La Chapelle Royale for 37 years, are the pinnacle of French sacred art in the Century of Louis Le Grand. The sublime and juvenile voices of Florie Valiquette and Sophie Junker intertwine in virtuosity and lamentations, giving this music a fascinating freshness. At the head of the soloists of the Royal Opera Orchestra, Stéphane Fuget works on the ornamentation in the time-honoured traditional manner, giving meaning to each phrase, and bringing out the brilliance of this apotheosis of French baroque singing.

Recorded from 13 to 17 June 2020 at the Palace of Versailles

Booklet in French, English and German