Matines or matins are prayers that traditionally took place between sunset and sunrise. Couperin wrote his matins in order to be sung during the last 3 days before Easter (the original composition has unfortunately been lost). What particularly appealed to me about this work is the idea that it’s performed at the most unfathomable hours, enveloped in darkness (hence leçons de ténèbres). These hours of 'entre chien et loup' formed the inspiration for my 'Matines'.
Paulette Verlée, the alter ego of Veerle Pollet, learned to play the piano at a very young age with the works of Bach and Schumann. For her first album, released last year, it was Erik Satie who formed the starting point. For her new album 'Les Barricades Mystérieuses' the inspiration came from François Couperin. Under the spell of his “leçons de ténèbres”, she first made her idiosyncratic piano version of ‘MEM’. Then created new, own work based on his somewhat funny and mysterious titles of his “pièces de clavecin”.
Matines is the third single of Paulette Verlée’s upcoming 'Les Barricades Mystérieuses' album. The new album has become a refined collection of neoclassical music, with the recognizable touch of Paulette and this time with a musical wink to baroque music.
Listen to ‘Matines’ HERE.