News from the Wigmore Hall by Joseph Boyle.
Wigmore Hall, London 12 April 2014
This short (70 minutes) concert marked the start of Holy Week with musical reflections on the passion of Jesus Christ. It was part of the Wigmore Summer14 series.
Performers – Le Poème Harmonique
Members:
Vincent Dumestre director, theorbo
Claire Lefilliâtre, soprano
Jean-François Lombard, tenor
Serge Goubioud, tenor
Geoffroy Buffière, bass
Lucas Peres, bass viol
Marouan Mankar-Bennis, harpsichord, chamber organ
Programme:
1. Anon
Psaume In te Domine Speravi en faux bourdon
2. Composer: Michel-Richard De Lalande
Troisième Leçon de Ténèbres
3. Composer: Marc Antoine Charpentier
Septième meditation
Neuvième méditation
4. Michel Richard De Lalande
Miserere mei Deus
Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726), engraving after Santerre.
The music of Michel-Richard De Lalande (1657-1726) is rarely performed. In fact I had never heard of him until this evening. He was a contemporary of Marc Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704). The singers and accompanists were excellent. Particular praise is due to the soprano Claire Lefilliâtre who stood in for a sick colleague (Hasnaa Benanni) at just 24 hours notice!
The Lalande Miserere was a very different presentation from the often performed and popular version by Gregorio Allegri (1582 – 1652). Placing the chorus at the back of hall where they responded to the soprano solo lent a beautiful spirituality to the piece. One could easily have been in an eighteenth-century church.
Le Poeme Harmonique’s artistic work is based around choral and instrumental music of the 17th and 18th centuries.
For more information on Le Poeme Harmonique visit: http://www.lepoemeharmonique.fr/#/en
https://www.facebook.com/LePoemeHarmoniqueVincentDumestre
Although the Hall was not quite full the audience appreciated the music and applauded vigorously at the end of the concert.
For more information about Wigmore Hall musical programmes visit: http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
Theory of Music 