A concert for male voices around Holy Week.

Under the reign of Louis XIV, both the city and the court were accustomed to an extravaganza of lavish entertainments, creating the illusion of a never-ending celebration. Only Lent brought the laughter of comedy and the marvels of stage machinery to a halt. The exuberance of secular spectacle then gave way to the intimate, mysterious splendours of this season of contemplation. The French taste for beautiful singing and intense, impassioned expression found its continuation in the motets of Holy Week, where the drama of human solitude unfolds in the face of the apparent loss of all hope.

The origins of Charpentier’s Méditations pour le Carême remain unknown. Their scoring for three male voices, however, places them alongside some of his Leçons de Ténèbres, written for male singers. This affinity with the lower register heightens the twilight atmosphere surrounding the themes of repentance and desolation that run throughout the Scriptures. The ritual of Tenebrae is well known: as the chants unfold, the church gradually sinks into darkness, as the candles illuminating the choir are extinguished one by one. Normally celebrated at around three o’clock in the morning, the service was brought forward to a more convenient hour for Parisian audiences, who came to savour these musical jewels. A moment in which to cross the threshold, before the dawn of Easter, into the unknown of the night.

Having explored the mysteries of Tenebrae with Lalande, Cavalieri and Couperin, Le Poème Harmonique now enters, with Charpentier, the familiar atmosphere of Holy Week. The rich, intense colours of the male voices make this chiaroscuro landscape all the more compelling.

Le Poème Harmonique is supported by the French Ministry of Culture (DRAC Normandy), the Centre National de la Musique, the Normandy Region, the Seine-Maritime Department and the City of Rouen.

Le Poème Harmonique is an artist-in-residence at the Fondation Singer-Polignac.

For its projects in Normandy, Le Poème Harmonique receives support from the Fonds Haplotès.

Le Poème Harmonique is an associated ensemble of the Heures Musicales de l’Abbaye de Lessay.

Prelude in G minor H.528

Meditations
Tristis est anima mea H.283
Sola vivebat in antris H.388

Third Lesson of Tenebrae for Holy Wednesday H.135

Respons
Unus ex discipulis meis H.132

Meditations
Cum cenasset Jesus H.384
Querebat Pilatus dimittere Jesum H.385

Third Lesson of Tenebrae for Good Friday H.137

Symphony for Three Instruments in G minor H.529

Meditation
Tenebræ factæ sunt H.386

Psalm
Miserere mei, Deus H.226

PRESTIGE VIP CATEGORY : Best seats in house, a complimentary glass of champagne is included.

PRESTIGE CATEGORY : Excellent seats, a complimentary glass of champagne is included.

REDUCED GROUP RATE : available for groups of more than 10 people, excluding corporate offers.

CORPORATE GROUP RATES : for more information, please refer to our page dedicated to works councils and groups.

In case of any technical problem, the box office service remains available to complete your order by phone at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 89 (Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm) or in our box office-shop (3 bis rue des Réservoirs, 78000 Versailles ; Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturdays with concerts or shows except during the Musical Fountains Shows, from 2pm to 5pm).

To ensure the best welcome possible, people with limited mobility are advised to book their seats by telephone.