Collegium 1704: Leçons de ténèbres

This magical music written for the liturgy of the “Dark Hours” of Holy Week is by a French Baroque composer François Couperin (1668–1733) whose name is associated mainly with works for harpsichord. Couperin’s rather small output of vocal music nonetheless demonstrates his inimitable sensitivity to the colour of the human voice and his extraordinary melodic inventiveness. Pre-concert talk by Václav Luks at 18:30.