For purity and precision of tone, and flawless intonation, Nigel Short’s chamber choir Tenebrae is pretty much unbeatable.
– The Times
Figure Humaine
Francis Poulenc is now considered to be among the most important composers of choral music of the 20th Century. Yet his early career reveals no trace of the dazzling and idiosyncratic unaccompanied choral textures so abundantly produced in the second half of his life.
This collection of Poulenc’s choral works is centered on his masterpiece, Figure Humaine. Even though it is only 20 minutes in length, the work is a supreme test of stamina, technical agility, range, aural skill and musicianship. The professional chamber choir Tenebrae is more than capable of tackling this repertoire, and this disc promises to provide a new benchmark in interpretations of the work.
For purity and precision of tone, and flawless intonation, Nigel Short’s chamber choir Tenebrae is pretty much unbeatable.
– The Times
- Release Date: 24 May 2010
- Record Label: Signum Classics
- Catalogue Number: SIGCD197
- Location of Recording: St Bartholomew-the-Great, West Smithfield, London
- Total Running Time: 01:03:32
- View/Download Liner Notes
Purchase Options
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Individual Tracks
Add individual tracks to your shopping cart by ticking their boxes in the track listing table below.
| Buy | # | Title | Composer | Duration | Price | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mass in G: Kyrie | Francis Poulenc | 03:25 | £ | Listen | |
| 2 | Mass in G: Gloria | Francis Poulenc | 04:08 | £ | Listen | |
| 3 | Mass in G: Sanctus | Francis Poulenc | 02:26 | £ | Listen | |
| 4 | Mass in G: Benedictus | Francis Poulenc | 03:46 | £ | Listen | |
| 5 | Mass in G: Agnus Dei | Francis Poulenc | 04:55 | £ | Listen | |
| 6 | Litanies á la Vierge Noire | Francis Poulenc | 08:18 | £ | Listen | |
| 7 | Salve Regina | Francis Poulenc | 04:23 | £ | Listen | |
| 8 | Un Soir de Neige: De grandes cuillers de neige | Francis Poulenc | 01:09 | £ | Listen | |
| 9 | Un Soir de Neige: La bonne neige le ciel noir | Francis Poulenc | 01:37 | £ | Listen | |
| 10 | Un Soir de Neide: Bois meutri | Francis Poulenc | 02:11 | £ | Listen | |
| 11 | Un Soir de Neige: La nuit le froid la solitude | Francis Poulenc | 01:05 | £ | Listen | |
| 12 | Figure Humaine: Bientôt | Francis Poulenc | 02:44 | £ | Listen | |
| 13 | Figure Humaine: Le Rôle des Femmes | Francis Poulenc | 02:05 | £ | Listen | |
| 14 | Figure Humaine: Aussi bas que le silence | Francis Poulenc | 01:33 | £ | Listen | |
| 15 | Figure Humaine: Patience | Francis Poulenc | 01:57 | £ | Listen | |
| 16 | Figure Humaine: Premiere Marche la voix d'un autre | Francis Poulenc | 01:00 | £ | Listen | |
| 17 | Figure Humaine: Un Loup | Francis Poulenc | 01:41 | £ | Listen | |
| 18 | Figure Humaine: Un feu sans tache | Francis Poulenc | 03:49 | £ | Listen | |
| 19 | Figure Humaine: Liberté | Francis Poulenc | 04:29 | £ | Listen | |
| 20 | Quatre petites prières de Saint François d’Assise: Salut, Dame Sainte | Francis Poulenc | 02:10 | £ | Listen | |
| 21 | Quatre petites prières de Saint François d’Assise: Tout Puissant | Francis Poulenc | 01:44 | £ | Listen | |
| 22 | Quatre petites prières de Saint François d’Assise: Seigneur, je vous en prie | Francis Poulenc | 01:21 | £ | Listen | |
| 23 | Quatre petites prières de Saint François d’Assise: O mes très chers frères | Francis Poulenc | 01:55 | £ | Listen |
… they seem to have an extra gear, a kind of choral over-drive that allows them to soar almost serenely over corners that have some of the finest vocal ensembles showing the strain.
– BBC Radio 3, CD Review
… all marvellous. It’s hard to imagine them being done better: Tenebrae’s tone, balance and intonation are superb.
– Classic FM
The awards jury says … Poulenc’s Figure Humaine makes extreme demands on ensemble and intonation, as plenty of commercial recordings can prove. Nigel Short’s Tenebrae is astonishing, and instead of being diverted by the musical struggle, you’re free to focus on Eluard’s texts. The sense of liberation at the end is no less powerfully expressed, and as a showcase for Poulenc’s choral writing, I’m finding it hard to imagine this recital being bettered.
– BBC Music Magazine
With considerable expertise Nigel Short directs the impeccably prepared choir in beautiful accounts. They have the added advantage of crystal clear and superbly balanced sound.
– Michael Cookson
Tenebrae is equal to every challenge. The tuning is impeccable, the phrasing intelligent and never forced, the balance always adjusted to the demands of Poulenc’s textures, which are frequently not as straightforward as they look on the page. Not least, the sopranos float ethereally in the more lyrical moments…The demanding top E at the end of Figure Humaine crowns the work as it should.
– Roger Nichols
… I think this is near perfection for me
– Hilary Finch
Beautiful, sustained, controlled singing – a marvellous CD
– Rob Cowan
It’s a fabulous disc, I can’t stop listening to it at the moment; it’s practically cemented itself to my CD player – it’s beautiful
– Jeremy Summerly, BBC Radio 3 Critics Choice 2010
An absolute tour de force from the British chamber choir Tenebrae here, singing in idiomatic French and with absolute technical assurance, even in the face of the fearsome challenges presented by the centrepiece, Figure Humaine (top E for the sopranos and all!).
– Presto Classical
Their singing has a precision of pitch, a rhythmic vigour and a musical focus few choirs can equal…Nigel Short, similarly, has studied these scores to the extent that he realises every tiny nuance of Poulenc’s writing and produces that kind of performance that offers an almost transparent level of textural precision.
– Gramophone Magazine
pristine performances
– The Financial Times
Poulenc had vocal expertise in mind when he wrote his choral music, and that is what he gets in this fine selection… all performed with colour and skill by Tenebrae
– The Daily Telegraph
an impeccable disc
– The Observer
BBC Music Magazine Choral & Song Choice (2010)
BBC Radio 3 Critics’ Disc of the Year (2010)
BBC Music Magazine Awards, Choral Finalist (2011)