Couperin’s Leçons de ténèbres — Le Caravansérail + Bertrand Cuiller + lecture Saskia Törnqvist

Light in the darkness

Just before the first light breaks, the darkness is at its deepest. This symbolism lies at the heart of the lamentations, the Leçons de ténèbres. In 17th-century France, these lamentations could be heard everywhere, from opulent basilicas to simple village churches. François Couperin composed them for one and two voices with sparse accompaniment. Here, tradition and genius merge into perfection. The intimate performance by Le Caravansérail and Bertrand Cuiller is of pure beauty – with just four musicians, a grand gesture is made.  
 
Sopranos Rachel Redmond and Maïlys de Villoutreys deliver Couperin’s richly ornamented musical orations with grace, demonstrating the sheer refinement of these spiritual meditations. Le Caravansérail frames the Leçons with a suite for viola da gamba and intimate harpsichord music. 

7 p.m. / Early Music lecture (Dutch spoken) by Saskia Törnqvist
The Eclipse of the Sun King
Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, realized as the years advanced that he had lived in deep sin. His earlier exorbitant lifestyle, marked by a legendary string of mistresses, transformed him into a God-fearing man in the autumn of his life. The ballets and operas that once defined his court were increasingly replaced by religious music. Thus the leçons de ténèbres, or ‘lessons of darkness’ – based on the lamentations of Jeremiah and performed during Holy Week – became a cherished genre. Celebrated composers, including François Couperin, Marc-Antoine Charpentier and Michel-Richard Delalande, each demonstrated in their own way how music can cloak itself in darkness. This lecture explains the various lessons that can be learned from this.

Christmas 2026
Explore all the Christmas concerts by clicking here and listen to the playlist below ⬇️