Lalande's legendary great motets accompanied the Sun King right to his end. Yet even without monumental arrangements he creates sacred vocal pieces of tremendous beauty and intensity. His "leçons de ténèbres" for the so-called "dark matins" during Passion Week bring together meditative contemplation, emotional depth and vocal refinement. When the lights in the church are turned off, the soprano's voice shines even brighter and the Hebrew letters at the beginning of the verses appear like decorative initials in a valuable manuscript. Apparently it was Lalande's daughter who used to sing this music and delighted "all of Paris". Sophie Karthäuser and the Ensemble Correspondances have already delighted both critics and international audiences.