[ad_1]
Charpentier – Overture pour l’église, H.524; Ritournelles pour la première leçon de ténèbres du Vendredi saint, H.100; Première leçon du Vendredi saint, H.105; Première repons: Sicut ovis; Seconde leçon du Vendredi saint, H.106; Seconde repons: Jerusalem surge, H.130; Troisième leçon du Vendredi saint, H.95; Troisième repons: O vos omnes, H.34
Sébastien de Brossard: Miserere mei, Psalm 51, SdB.50
Sestina Music is a dynamic early music ensemble founded in 2011 by Mark Chambers, who remains the ensemble’s musical director. The ensemble is renowned for its reputation for excellence through authenticity as well as a fresh and innovative approach to early music. This concert entitled, ‘Lux et Umbra’ launched the ensemble’s 2024/25 season.
The works on the programme were composed for the Christian service of Tenebrae which focuses on the crucifixion and burial of Christ. The texts for Charpentier’s Leçons de Tenebrae are drawn from verses in the Old Testament Book of Lamentations, in which the prophet Jeremiah mourns the destruction of Jerusalem. These texts are poignant in their depiction of grief, loss and despair, mirroring the emotions experienced by Christians during Holy Week.
The concert opened with the short Overture pour l’église for the instrumentalists. The group blended beautifully to create transparent textures and richly expressive harmonies. The Première leçon du Vendredi saint is scored for solo soprano and treble viol obligato and was originally written for the Guise household who were patrons of Charpentier. Soprano Sarah Keating has a wonderfully pure voice which is perfect for this music. She sustained Charpentier’s long lines while maintaining beauty of tone and succeeded in creating a mesmerising contemplative atmosphere. The instrumentalists punctuated the soloist’s entries with short tasteful interludes. Mark Chambers sang the short plainsong response, ‘Sicut ovis’.
The Seconde leçon du Vendredi saint is taken from the same collection and is more sparsely scored for soprano and basso continuo. Soprano Áine Smith sang with great clarity and crisp diction. She combined well with the instrumentalists to create an impressive dramatic narrative. The sequence continued with the Seconde repons: Jerusalem surge which was composed in 1690 for the Jesuit congregation at the Church of St Louis. While originally scored for two tenors, it was performed here by the two sopranos. I was struck by the chromaticism and complexity of the harmony both in the opening instrumental sequence and in a later sequence involving the two soloists. The ensemble combined to produce an elegant lyrical flow, and the soloists sang with great lyricism and poignancy.
The Troisième leçon du Vendredi saint was again written for the Guise household and is scored for two sopranos and two recorders, alternating solo sections with duets for voices and instruments. I was again struck by the dissonance of some of the harmonic progressions. There was a wonderful sense of intimate spiritual reflection in the music with the instrumentalists creating delicate colours and tapestries of sound. The Troisième repons: O vos omnes urges all those who pass by to witness the sorrow of the fallen Jerusalem. The ensemble conjured up a sense of plaintive resignation bringing the cycle to a mournful poetic close.
Sébastien de Brossard was a nobleman and cleric who was despatched by Louis XIV to Strasbourg in 1687 to re-establish Catholic worship at the city’s cathedral. He composed his own works to meet the needs of the newly restored cathedral. Brossard’s setting of the Miserere mei is inspired by Allegri’s more famous setting. Brossard alternates a simple three-part setting of the chant with florid passages for the soprano soloist. Mark Chambers joined the two sopranos for this piece, and I loved the extraordinary ethereal sound the trio produced. The florid solo soprano passages were well executed by all the singers.
Candles were lit to illuminate the church at the start of the performance, and these were gradually extinguished after each response. The church was in complete darkness at the end of the performance leaving the audience to reflect on the intense spirituality in the music.
Robert Beattie
[ad_2]
Source link