Wigmore Hall, 16 April 2014
Holy Week can often bring unusual musical offerings and that was true of last night at Wigmore Hall when we heard settings for Tenebrae, by Charpentier and Couperin, from members of Les Talens Lyriques. During the early 18th century the Paris theatres closed for Lent and singers were at something of a loose end, so a convent rather enterprisingly established a compromise between a service and a concert. Celebrated composers set the liturgical passages for singers from the opera, with considerable freedom. Music was given within the convent under liturgical circumstnaces but with all the panache of the opera house.
Most interesting, because so unexpected, is the elaboration of single letters. The verses from Jeremiah all start with a single Hebrew letter, and this is developed into a mini-aria or duet by the composer, often more elaborate than the setting of the ensuing narrative.
The result, while rather inflexible in structure, allowed for many delicious moments as the evening progressed. In Charpentier’s Seconde lecon du jeudi the scoring of prophetae tui viderunt provides a small explosion in an otherwise introspective setting, and the concluding Jerusalem convertere is very beautiful.
This was set for two sopranos who tempered their voices to the calmness of the setting. When Amel Brahim-Djelloul sang Septieme repons H117 we heard the sudden flowering of a far more operatic sound. Similarly, Judith van Wanroji brought a Mozartian warmth to Cinquiene repons H115.
After the interval, Couperin’s longer settings proved also to be rather more florid in approach.
All of the Charpentier had been accompanied from the chamber organ by Christophe Rousset, but for the Couperin setting he alternated sections from both harpsichord and organ. Francois Joubert-Caillet was the sensitive viola da gamba continuo.
A rather brief evening, but one which was warmly received and opened a window into a world we rarely encounter.