Composer

:

Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Motet

Compose Date

:

1670

Average_duration

:

10:38

Marc-Antoine Charpentier's 'Troisième leçon de ténèbres du jeudi saint, H. 93' is a sacred vocal work composed in the 17th century. It was written for the liturgical service of Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples. The work is part of a larger collection of music known as the 'Leçons de ténèbres', which were traditionally performed during the Tenebrae service on the three days leading up to Easter. The 'Troisième leçon de ténèbres du jeudi saint' is scored for two solo voices (soprano and alto) and continuo. It is divided into three movements, each corresponding to one of the three readings from the Book of Lamentations that are traditionally read during the Tenebrae service. The first movement is a setting of the first verse of the third chapter of Lamentations, "Manus tuae fecerunt me et plasmaverunt me" ("Your hands have made me and fashioned me"). The second movement sets the second verse of the same chapter, "Circumdederunt me dolores mortis" ("The pains of death surrounded me"). The third and final movement sets the third verse, "Lamed. Defecerunt prae lacrimis oculi mei" ("Lamed. My eyes have failed from weeping"). The music of the 'Troisième leçon de ténèbres du jeudi saint' is characterized by its intense emotional expressiveness and its use of chromaticism and dissonance to convey the text's themes of sorrow and lamentation. The vocal lines are highly ornamented and require a great deal of virtuosity from the soloists. The continuo part is also highly expressive, with frequent use of suspensions and other dissonant harmonies. The 'Troisième leçon de ténèbres du jeudi saint' was likely composed in the 1680s or 1690s, during Charpentier's tenure as maître de musique at the Jesuit church of Saint-Louis in Paris. It was first performed during the Tenebrae service on Holy Thursday, and has since become one of Charpentier's most famous and frequently performed works. Its haunting beauty and emotional power continue to captivate audiences to this day.

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