Charpentier: Legons De Tenebres – Arcangelo Hyperion

A new disc of delights from the sprawling oeuvre of Charpentier is always welcome, especially when it comes from an ensemble as reliable and adaptable as Arcangelo. A quick glance at the list of singers and instrumentalists gathered by Jonathan Cohen for these recordings is assurance enough that they won’t lack for expertise, musicality or style’ (Gramophone)
‘Charpentier’s Leçons de ténèbres are among the glories of French Baroque music … these performances by Arcangelo of the Litanies and Magnificat are unfailingly expert … the baritone Stéphane Degout and the tenor Samuel Boden strike a fine balance between the meditative aspects and the near-operatic drama of the words from the Lamentations of Jeremiah’ (BBC Music Magazine)

Litanies de la vierge H83[16’44]
Anna Dennis (soprano), Zoë Brookshaw (soprano), Anna Harvey (mezzo-soprano), Samuel Boden (tenor), Thomas Walker (tenor), Ashley Riches (bass)
1
Kyrie eleison[5’15]
2
Speculum iustitiae[2’47]
3
Salus infirmorum[5’01]
4
Agnus Dei[3’41]
5
Magnificat à 3 H73[9’26]
Samuel Boden (tenor), Thomas Walker (tenor), Ashley Riches (bass)
6
Ouverture pour le sacre d’un évêque H536[4’26]
Leçons de ténèbres
Première leçon de ténèbres du Mercredi saint H120[10’40]
Stéphane Degout (baritone)
7
Prelude[0’54]
8
Incipit lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae[0’57]
9
Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo[1’07]
10
Plorans ploravit in nocte[2’00]
11
Migravit Juda propter afflictionem[1’26]
12
Viae Sion lugent[1’53]
13
Facti sunt hostes eius in capite[1’06]
14
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum[1’17]
Seconde leçon de ténèbres du Mercredi saint H138[13’05]
Samuel Boden (tenor)
15
Vau. Et egressus est a filia –[2’54]
16
Zain. Recordata est Jerusalem dierum afflictionis suae[3’09]
17
Peccatum peccavit Jerusalem –[2’43]
18
Teth. Sordes eius in pedibus eius[2’46]
19
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum[1’33]
Troisième leçon de ténèbres du Mercredi saint H123[18’55]
Stéphane Degout (baritone)
20
Prelude[1’26]
21
Jod[0’21]
22
Manum suam misit hostis[2’32]
23
Omnis populus eius gemens[1’59]
24
Lamed[1’01]
25
O vos omnes qui transitis per viam[2’08]
26
Mem[1’03]
27
De excelso misit ignem in ossibus meis[2’26]
28
Nun[1’13]
29
Vigilavit iugum iniquitatum mearum[1’57]
30
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum[2’49]

Another demonstration from Arcangelo of exactly why they maintain so stellar a reputation as one of today’s leading early music ensembles. With contributions from tenor Samuel Boden and baritone Stéphane Degout, this exquisite programme of sacred music by Charpentier is a major addition to the discography of the French Baroque.