La Nuova Musica

Couperin’s Leçons des ténèbres (Lessons from Tenebrae) was originally presented in the Parisian Abbey de Longchamp. Performed by the operatic stars of the day, it fused the dramatic and the devotional.

Using wild and emotive biblical texts describing Jerusalem’s desolation and sumptuous harmonies, the piece was the centrepiece of the Christian service of Tenebrae, a night-time service in which candles are gradually extinguished, plunging the church into darkness.

In this late-evening performance Associate Artists La Nuova Musica are joined by renowned sopranos Lucy Crowe and Elizabeth Watts for a sensitive and intimate performance in the haunting surroundings of Village Underground.