View source for Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence

{{Short description|Set of 4-part vocal pieces by Francis Poulenc}}
{{Infobox musical composition
| name              = ''{{lang|fr|Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence}}''
| type              = [[Motet]]s
| composer          = [[Francis Poulenc]]
| image             =
| image_upright     =
| caption           =
| key               =
| catalogue         = [[FP (Poulenc)|FP]] 97
| text              = {{hlist | Psalms | [[Responsories for Holy Week|Responsories]] }}
| language          = Latin
| composed          = {{Start date|1938}}–39
| scoring           = [[SATB|{{abbr|SATB|soprano, alto, tenor and bass}}]] [[a cappella]]
| published         = <!-- {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1886}}|location= [[Vienna]]}} -->
}}
'''''{{lang|fr|Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence}}''''' (''Four Penitential Motets''), [[FP (Poulenc)|FP]] 97, are four [[Sacred music|sacred]] [[motet]]s composed by [[Francis Poulenc]] in 1938–39. He wrote them on [[Latin]] texts for [[penitence]], scored for four unaccompanied voices.{{sfn|Schmidt|1995|p=288}}{{sfn|Bowen|2008}}
== Structure and texts ==
The four motets are:{{sfn|Schmidt|1995|p=288}}
# Timor et tremor
# Vinea mea electa
# Tenebrae factae sunt
# Tristis est anima mea
The text for the first motet, Timor et tremor (Great fear and trembling),{{sfn|Schmidt|1995|p=288}} combines verses from psalms [[Psalm 54|54]] and [[Psalm 30|30]], which [[Orlando de Lassus]] had also set as a motet.{{sfn|Schulz|2016}} The other three motets are based on three [[Responsories for Holy Week|responsories for the Holy Week]]:{{sfn|Schulz|2016}} "Vinea mea electa" (Vine that I loved as my own), a responsory for the [[matins]] of [[Good Friday]], "Tenebrae factae sunt" (Darkness fell upon the Earth), a responsory for the matins of [[Holy Saturday]], and "[[Tristis est anima mea (responsory)|Tristis est anima mea]]" (Sad is my soul and sorrowful), a responsory for the matins of [[Maundy Thursday]].{{sfn|Schmidt|1995|p=288}}
A performance of the work will last for approximately 13 minutes.<ref name="allmusic">{{allmusic|class=composition |id=mc0002370692 |accessdate=2022-01-03}}</ref>
== History ==
Poulenc returned to sacred music first in 1937 when he composed the [[missa brevis]] ''Messe en sol majeur'' ([[Mass (Poulenc)|Mass]] in G). He then wrote the four motets,{{sfn|Lace|2000}} at different times. He wrote "Timor et tremor" last, in [[Noizay]] in January 1939, and dedicated it to Monsieur l'Abbé Maillet. He composed "Vinea mea electa" there in December 1938 and dedicated it to [[Yvonne Gouverné]]. "Tenebrae factae sunt" was the first of the four motets, written there in July, dedicated to [[Nadia Boulanger]]. Poulenc composed "Tristis est anima mea" in Paris in November 1938 and dedicated it to [[Ernest Bourmauck]].{{sfn|Schmidt|1995|p=288}} The motets are written for a mixed choir a cappella, at times further divided.{{sfn|Schmidt|1995|p=289}}
The first performance was sung in February 1939, probably in Paris, by Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois, repeated in several churches in Paris during the Holy Week, according to a review by Claude Chamfray.{{sfn|Schmidt|1995|p=292}}
== Selected recordings ==
Recordings were made by the chamber choir Polyphony, conducted by [[Stephen Layton]], by the [[Westminster Cathedral Choir]], conducted by [[James O'Donnell (organist)|James O'Donnell]], and by [[The Cambridge Singers]], conducted by [[John Rutter]], among others.{{sfn|Bowen|2008}}  The Norwegian chamber choir [[Grex Vocalis]], conducted by [[Carl Høgset]], recorded the motets along with the ''[[Mass (Poulenc)|Messe en sol majeur]]''.{{sfn|Lace|2000}}
== References ==
{{reflist|20em}}
== Bibliography ==
* {{cite web
| last = Bowen
| first = Meurig
| url = http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/tw.asp?w=W1673
| title = Francis Poulenc (1899–1963): Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence (1938–39)
| publisher = [[Hyperion Records]]
| date = 2008
| access-date = 28 December 2016
}}
*{{cite web
| last = Lace
| first = Ian
| url = http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2000/feb00/poulenc.htm
| title = Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) / Libertè – Francis Poulenc a cappella
| publisher = musicweb-international.com
| date = 2000
| access-date = 4 January 2016
}}
* {{Cite book
| first = Carl B.
| last = Schmidt
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KsUGv8-TVGcC&pg=PA288
| title = The Music of Francis Poulenc (1899–1963): A Catalogue
| publisher = Clarendon Press
| location = Oxford
| date = 1995
| isbn = 978-0-19-816336-7
}}
* {{cite web
| last = Schulz
| first = Ingo
| url = http://www.emmaus.de/ingos_texte/poulenc_passion.html
| title = Francis Poulenc (1899–1963): Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence (1938–39)
| publisher = emmaus.de
| date = 2016
| language = de
| access-date = 28 December 2016
}}
== External links ==
* {{IMSLP2|work=4 Motets pour un temps de pénitence, FP 97 (Poulenc, Francis)|cname=4 Motets pour un temps de pénitence, FP 97}}
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00cc4br Poulenc: Quatre Motets pour un Temps de Pénitence] [[BBC]]
* {{allmusic|class=composition |id=mc0002370692}}
{{Francis Poulenc|state=collapsed}}
{{italic title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence}}
[[Category:Religious music by Francis Poulenc]]
[[Category:Motets]]
[[Category:Tenebrae]]
[[Category:1939 compositions]]