Leçons de Ténèbres is a genre that became popular in France in the 17th and 18th century.  It’s a set of texts from the Vulgate version of the Book of Jeremiah to be sung on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Easter week.  Over time setting these texts became something of a competitive exercise as they came to play a similar role to Handel’s oratorios in 18th century England.  They were musical works that one could listen to during Lent when most other musical outlets were unavailable.  The fashionable set would roam from church to church in search of the finest settings and the finest singers.

In the case of François Couperin’s version of 1714 only the music for Wednesday survives.  There are two Leçons de ténèbres à voix seule and one à deux voix.  Each leçon consists of a number of verses each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Normally the works are performed by two soloists (either soprano or counter-tenor) and a variable small instrumental ensemble.  The version recorded by Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel uses seven sopranos, cello, viola da gamba, three theorbos and organ.

The leçons are split up by shorter pieces.  There’s an introduction for organ; Louis Chein’s Missa Pro Defunctis: Introit and then three pieces from Charpentier’ Répons de Ténèbres.  The disk is rounded out with Michel-Richard de Lalande’s Miserere.  All in all there’s a round 70 minutes of music.

It’s all skilfully and tastefully performed though it’s all a bit of a downer; truly penitential music.  Personally I wouldn’t rush around to hear French baroque settings of Jeremiah but if that’s your thing this disk won’t disappoint.  It’s well recorded with an appropriately “churchy” acoustic.

It’s due for release in March 2026 as a physical CD, lossless digital 44.1kHz/16bit and MP3.

Catalogue information: Alpha Records ALPHA1210