Leçons de ténèbres
Encyclopedia
Leçons de ténèbres, literally lessons of darkness, are a genre of French baroque music
which developed from the polyphonic lamentations
settings for the tenebrae
service of Renaissance composers such as Sermisy, Gesualdo
, Tallis
, and Tomás Luis de Victoria
into virtuoso solo chamber music.
service uses the text of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, originally deploring the Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)
and subsequent desolation of the city, but applied allegorically to the three days of mourning for Christ between crucifixion and resurrection.
However the context of the French Leçons de ténèbres was often private performance. Delalande's 15-year old daughter sang for Louis XIV first in his living rooms and then in chapel, becoming the praise of all Paris. Philidor's catalogue indicates that Delalande's three surviving virtuoso solo Leçons de ténèbres were composed for such occasions.
A complete set of Leçons de ténèbres for the full three days of Holy Week
would have included nine lessons, with each of these leçons requiring the setting of specific texts from Lamentations, although the conventions of exactly which texts to set varied slightly from the Renaissance to the Baroque, and by local custom. The following respresents the typical French baroque schema set by Charpentier :
However in practice composers rarely supplied a complete set of all 9 settings. An notable exception being Charpentier who authored a complete set Les Neuf Leçons de ténèbres (H. 96-110) and duplicated all the settings several times over.
In addition the services required antiphons and supplementary motets - 9 for each day, 27 in total. Charpentier again produced extensively in this genre, such as his Les neuf répons du mercredi saint (H. 111-119, 120-125, 135-137). As with the lessons the French répons are stylistically differentiated from the Renaissance responsories of Victoria and Gesualdo.
By way of contrast the larger scale choral and orchestral lamentations of provincial composer Jean Gilles
stand outside the mainly Parisian genre, and more in line with the lamentations of Central European baroque composers such as Zelenka
and Heinichen
.
, however Couperin's were not the first nor was he the most prolific composer in the genre:
Later composers who in part followed the French chamber style in their settings of lamentations include:
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
which developed from the polyphonic lamentations
Lamentations
Lamentations may refer to:*The Book of Lamentations*"Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet" and "Genre of the Lamentations", two articles on the music for Tenebrae*Laments by 16th-century Polish poet Jan Kochanowski...
settings for the tenebrae
Tenebrae
Tenebrae may refer to:* Tenebrae, a Christian worship service held during Holy Week * Tenebrae , a horror film by Dario Argento* Tenebrae , soundtrack album for the Dario Argento film...
service of Renaissance composers such as Sermisy, Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo, known as Gesualdo di Venosa or Gesualdo da Venosa , Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, was an Italian nobleman, lutenist, composer, and murderer....
, Tallis
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
, and Tomás Luis de Victoria
Tomás Luis de Victoria
Tomás Luis de Victoria, sometimes Italianised as da Vittoria , was the most famous composer of the 16th century in Spain, and one of the most important composers of the Counter-Reformation, along with Giovanni da Palestrina and Orlando di Lasso. Victoria was not only a composer, but also an...
into virtuoso solo chamber music.
Ténèbres: singular or plural?
In the original French sources Leçons de ténèbres (de indicates that the following noun is singular) which treats the ténèbres service as singular, even though spread over three days, is more common; The spelling Leçons des ténèbres (des indicates that the following noun is plural) is increasingly common in later sources, however modern sources still use de; as in Sébastien Gaudelus Les offices de Ténèbres en France, 1650-1790 (2005). Capitalisation of ténèbres varies.Liturgical function
The tenebraeTenebrae
Tenebrae may refer to:* Tenebrae, a Christian worship service held during Holy Week * Tenebrae , a horror film by Dario Argento* Tenebrae , soundtrack album for the Dario Argento film...
service uses the text of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, originally deploring the Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)
Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)
In 589 BC, Nebuchadnezzar II laid siege to Jerusalem, culminating in the destruction of the city and its temple in 587 BC.-Siege:Following the siege of 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah as tributary king of Judah at the age of twenty-one. However, Zedekiah revolted against Babylon, and...
and subsequent desolation of the city, but applied allegorically to the three days of mourning for Christ between crucifixion and resurrection.
However the context of the French Leçons de ténèbres was often private performance. Delalande's 15-year old daughter sang for Louis XIV first in his living rooms and then in chapel, becoming the praise of all Paris. Philidor's catalogue indicates that Delalande's three surviving virtuoso solo Leçons de ténèbres were composed for such occasions.
A complete set of Leçons de ténèbres for the full three days of Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
would have included nine lessons, with each of these leçons requiring the setting of specific texts from Lamentations, although the conventions of exactly which texts to set varied slightly from the Renaissance to the Baroque, and by local custom. The following respresents the typical French baroque schema set by Charpentier :
- Holy Wednesday
- Première leçon pour le mercredi Saint - 1:1-5
- Deuxième leçon pour le mercredi Saint - 1:6-9
- Troisième leçon pour le mercredi Saint - 1:10-14
- Holy Thursday
- Première leçon pour le jeudi Saint - 2:8-11
- Deuxième leçon pour le jeudi Saint - 2:12-15
- Troisième leçon pour le jeudi Saint - 3:1-9
- Good Friday
- Première leçon pour le vendredi Saint - 3:22-30
- Deuxième leçon pour le vendredi Saint - 4:1-6
- Troisième leçon pour le vendredi Saint - 5:1-11
However in practice composers rarely supplied a complete set of all 9 settings. An notable exception being Charpentier who authored a complete set Les Neuf Leçons de ténèbres (H. 96-110) and duplicated all the settings several times over.
In addition the services required antiphons and supplementary motets - 9 for each day, 27 in total. Charpentier again produced extensively in this genre, such as his Les neuf répons du mercredi saint (H. 111-119, 120-125, 135-137). As with the lessons the French répons are stylistically differentiated from the Renaissance responsories of Victoria and Gesualdo.
Musical style
The characteristic style of the Leçons de ténèbres is defined by the trend to soloist virtuoso performance, for one or two vocalists with basso continuo, and introspective and melismatic music - specifically in the melismas on the Hebrew letters introducing each Latin verse.By way of contrast the larger scale choral and orchestral lamentations of provincial composer Jean Gilles
Jean Gilles
Jean Gilles may refer to:*Jean Gilles *Jean Gilles...
stand outside the mainly Parisian genre, and more in line with the lamentations of Central European baroque composers such as Zelenka
Zelenka
Zelenka is a Czech surname and may refer to:* Eric Zelenka, senior worldwide product marketing manager at Apple Inc.* Jan Dismas Zelenka , a Bohemian baroque composer* Jiří Zelenka, professional Czech ice-hockey player...
and Heinichen
Johann David Heinichen
Johann David Heinichen was a German Baroque composer and music theorist who brought the musical genius of Venice to the court of Augustus the Strong in Dresden...
.
Composers
Of the settings by far the best known are the Leçons de ténèbres of CouperinLeçons de ténèbres (Couperin)
The Leçons de ténèbres pour le mercredi saint are a series of three vocal pieces composed by François Couperin for the liturgies of Holy Week, 1714, at the Abbaye royale de Longchamp...
, however Couperin's were not the first nor was he the most prolific composer in the genre:
- Michel LambertMichel LambertMichel Lambert was a French singing master, theorbist and composer.Lambert was born at Champigny-sur-Veude, France. He received his musical education as an altar boy at the Chapel of Gaston d'Orléans. He studied also with Pierre de Nyert in Paris. Since 1636, he was known as a singing teacher...
1689 - Michel Richard DelalandeMichel Richard DelalandeMichel Richard Delalande [de Lalande] was a French Baroque composer and organist who was in the service of King Louis XIV. He was one of the most important composers of grand motets. He also wrote orchestral suites known as "Simphonies pour les Soupers du Roy" and ballets...
before 1711 - one setting each for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday survive. - François CouperinFrançois CouperinFrançois Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
1714, 3 settings for Wednesday survive, the other 6 settings for Thursday and Friday are lost. - Marc-Antoine CharpentierMarc-Antoine CharpentierMarc-Antoine Charpentier, , was a French composer of the Baroque era.Exceptionally prolific and versatile, he produced compositions of the highest quality in several genres...
- many complete settings. - Nicolas BernierNicolas BernierNicolas Bernier was a French composer.-Biography:He was born in Mantes-sur-Seine , the son of Rémy Bernier and Marguerite Bauly. He studied with Antonio Caldara and is known for an Italian-influenced style. After Marc-Antoine Charpentier he is probably the most Italian-influenced French composer...
- Jean-Baptiste Gouffet
- Joseph Michel 1688-1736
- Charles Henri de Blainville
- Guillaume BouzignacGuillaume BouzignacGuillaume Bouzignac was a French composer.Bouzignac was probably born 1587 in Saint-Nazaire-d'Aude. He studied at the Cathedral of Narbonne until 1604, and was choirmaster at the Cathedrals of Angoulême, Bourges, Tours and Clermont-Ferrand. His motets are preserved in two manuscripts...
Later composers who in part followed the French chamber style in their settings of lamentations include:
- Joseph-Hector FioccoJoseph-Hector FioccoJoseph-Hector Fiocco , born in Brussels, was a Flemish composer and violinist of the high and late Baroque period....
- Franz Xaver RichterFranz Xaver RichterFranz Xaver Richter, known as François Xavier Richter in France was an Austro-Moravian singer, violinist, composer, conductor and music theoretician who spent most of his life first in Austria and later in Mannheim and in Strasbourg, where he was music director of the cathedral...
Selected recordings
- Charpentier - Anne Verkinderen (soprano), René Jacobs, Concerto Vocale René Jacobs, dir. 1979