The Centre de musique baroque de Versailles is offering a workshop for established chamber music groups, exploring the rich repertoire of Leçons de Ténèbres: from well-known masterpieces by Couperin, Lalande and Charpentier to lesser-known works. Two days of interpretation and scholarship will culminate in a musical performance during a CMBV Jeudi musical in the exceptional setting of the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles.
The Leçons de Ténèbres, traditionally sung during Holy Week, combine spirituality, inner theatre and musical refinement and are one of the highlights of Baroque musical art. With a very intimate ensemble (one or two voices accompanied by a basso continuo, sometimes three male voices for a similar repertoire), these ‘little masterpieces’ allow composers to showcase the full range of their artistry and draw us into a truly sacred drama, a theatre of lamentation. These works found their place in highly codified and theatrical services, in which the staging of light, and its gradual disappearance, was as important as the music itself. Immerse yourself in a vocal repertoire of exceptional expressive depth with this workshop, which offers the opportunity to perform these works in the most illustrious venue for French Baroque sacred music, playing the continuo from the grand organ.
Objectives
- Understand the liturgical and historical context of the Leçons de Ténèbres
- Discover the extent of this repertoire in 17th century France
- Explore and deepen your understanding of the interpretation techniques specific to this repertoire: ornamentation, phrasing, diction and expressiveness, intimate vocal delivery
- Understand chamber music and performance practice in situ at the Royal Chapel gallery
Trainers
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, organist, harpsichordist and conductor of the Ensemble Les Surprises
Sébastien Gaudelus, curator and assistant to the director of collections (BnF)
Thomas Leconte, researcher and editorial manager (CMBV - CESR)
Benoît Dratwicki, researcher and artistic director (CMBV - CESR)
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, organist, harpsichordist and conductor of the Ensemble Les Surprises
Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas is a conductor, harpsichordist and organist who trained at the Paris and Lyon Conservatoires. In 2010, he co-founded the ensemble Les Surprises, which he has directed ever since with an approach that is both musicological and sensitive. A specialist in the vocal and instrumental repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries, he has revealed numerous previously unheard works (Destouches, Rebel, Lalande, etc.) with his ensemble, which have been acclaimed by critics. His work combines stylistic rigour, expressive freedom and artistic excellence, bringing original and dramatically constructed programmes to life. A regular guest at major festivals (Ambronay, Sablé, Beaune, MAfestival Bruges, etc.), he has developed a personal vision of the Baroque concert as a space for storytelling and rediscovery. His recordings have received numerous awards (Diapason d'Or, Choc Classica). Les Surprises is in residence at the Arsenal in Metz.
Sébastien Gaudelus, curator and assistant to the director of collections (BnF)
Archivist-paleographer (École des Chartes, 1999), Sébastien Gaudelus is one of the leading specialists in French religious music of the 17th and 18th centuries. His thesis, devoted to the Tenebrae services in France (1650–1790), was published in 2005 with a preface by Catherine Massip. He is interested in liturgical practices, the circulation of musical scores and the role of musical institutions in religious life under the Ancien Régime. He joined the Bibliothèque nationale de France in 2002, where he has held several positions, successively in the Music Department, the Richelieu site renovation project and the Audiovisual Department. Since 2023, he has been assistant to the Director of Collections for scientific and technical matters.
Thomas Leconte, researcher and editorial manager (CMBV - CESR)
Thomas Leconte is a researcher at the Research Centre of the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, where he is also editorial manager of heritage collections. His research focuses mainly on social, religious and court music of the Grand Siècle (functions, repertoires, musical practices, identities). In addition, his historical, theoretical and practical knowledge of 17th and 18th century orchestral and choral writing frequently leads him to reconstruct the missing parts of works in the repertoire. He is currently working on a project (research, reconstruction, edition) on Lalande's Symphonies pour les Soupers du roi. He regularly collaborates with professional ensembles as a scientific advisor (concerts, recordings).
Benoit Dratwicki, researcher and artistic director (CMBV - CESR)
Benoît Dratwicki first obtained degrees in cello, chamber music and music education, before turning his attention to music history, analysis and aesthetics, earning various distinctions at the conservatories of Metz and Paris, before joining the aesthetics and music culture classes at the CNSMD in Paris. During the 2006-2007 season, he produced the programmes ‘La Querelle des Bouffons’ and ‘Sortez les jumelles’ with his brother Alexandre on France Musique. He is a researcher and artistic director at the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, where he has worked since 2001, and artistic director of the Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice – Centre de Musique Romantique Française since 2007. A specialist in court music and French opera between 1670 and 1800 (with a particular focus on the singers of the Académie Royale de Musique, historically informed performance, the evolution of styles and lyrical genres, and the reworking of works), he is the author of several research papers on these subjects and defended a thesis on François Colin de Blamont (1690-1760) at the Sorbonne. In 2023, he will defend his habilitation thesis at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, entitled The Paris Opera and its singers (1669-1791): context and sources as keys to interpretation.
Training arrangements
- In-person workshop only
- Workshop conducted in French (discussions possible in English)
- Assessment methods: self-assessment and individualised final assessments by trainers
- Alternating between lectures and group and individual work sessions
Programme
Details of the days to be specified later
Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th February 2026
Hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs, Versailles
- Lessons begin on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
- Rehearsals
- Lectures
- Vocal and instrumental work
- Discussion time
- Evening rehearsals at the Royal Chapel
Thursday, 5 February 2026
Chapelle royale du château de Versailles
- Rehearsals at the CMBV in the morning
- Meet at 2.30pm at the Royal Chapel
- Concert – Musical Thursday at the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles from 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Public performance - Musical Thursday 5/02 / 5:30 p.m.
Chapelle royale, château de Versailles, Versailles
Participants
4 to 5 chamber music ensembles (singers, instrumentalists, continuo players)
Preparation of the repertoire (list provided upon registration) required in advance
Diapason 415
Prerequisites
- Working professionals
- Future professionals in training - currently enrolled in higher education (bachelor's, master's) or equivalent
Repertoire studied
- Discussions with trainers beforehand
- A list of works will be provided, and trainees may make suggestions when registering
- Particular attention will be given to works that are less frequently performed in this repertoire
Pricing conditions
Fees for 3 days of workshops (online payment via a payment link sent upon acceptance of the application):
Full fee covered: depending on coverage (contact the Training Centre administration for a quote)
Maximum individual contribution: €250 including VAT
Maximum individual contribution for students (up to 26 years old): €90 including VAT
For permanent or temporary employees, CMBV workshops may be covered under continuing professional development programmes (Afdas, employers, etc.).
Services included in the price:
- Access to CMBV premises (instrument tuning if necessary)
- All teaching costs (instructors, instruments, etc.) for the duration of the course
- Active participation in workshops
- Provision of documents and sheet music
- Loan of instruments, or access to instruments, if necessary
The following remain the responsibility of the trainees:
- Travel expenses
- Accommodation expenses (meals and lodging)
Registration
Selection based on application and video recording (mandatory): one French Baroque aria and one Baroque aria in another language
Preferably recordings of the group as a whole; failing that, individual recordings of each participant
Individual applications are possible, subject to the ability to form groups with all participants.
Accessibility
The classrooms and teaching spaces are accessible to people with reduced mobility. For any disability requiring adaptation of the teaching, please specify this when registering: this information will be forwarded to the CMBV disability officer, who will contact you if necessary.
Registration deadline: 3 December 2025
