Tenebrae & Nigel Short: Poulenc – Figure humaine

Composed covertly during the Nazi occupation of France with verses by surrealist poet Paul Éluard, Francis Poulenc's Figure humaine is one of the twentieth century's most demanding unaccompanied choral works. Scored for double choir of twelve voices, Nigel Short's chamber choir Tenebrae navigates terrifying harmonic shifts and extreme dynamic contrasts with unflinching precision. The climactic cry of Liberté concludes on an astronomical high soprano note, turning vocal stamina into an urgent anthem of human freedom.