Madrigali Spirituali
Philippus de Monte
Ticket prices
€ 22 - check our reductions
Delight, doubt, hope and desire are emotions that are translated musically in the madrigal, the Renaissance’s most expressive genre. In this concert, Vox Luminis sheds light on a particular aspect of Philippe de Monte’s production: the spiritual madrigal.
The spiritual madrigal came about in response to the increasing secularisation of art in the 16th century. De Monte also applied himself to this unique genre: with over 1000 secular madrigals, he is without a doubt the last great madrigal composer from the Low Countries. His influence reached as far as Italy, since all his madrigal collections were published in Venice.
In 1581, De Monte published his first collection of Madrigali Spirituali for five voices which was the beginning of a series of no fewer than 140 compositions. He thus contributed to the Counter-Reformation on Italian soil with his refined music.
Voices of Passion – autumn 2021
A multi-vocal anniversary
2021 is an anniversary year for polyphony. The Alamire Foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2021. As centre of excellence at KU Leuven and creative ambassador of the City of Leuven, the Foundation has invested in research and valorisation of Gregorian chant and polyphony from the Low Countries since 1991. 30CC and Alamire have intensely and happily worked together for 30 years to let this unique heritage be heard in churches and abbeys.
After the opening concert of the festival with English music from one of Pierre Alamire’s manuscripts, the focus shifts to the second half of the 16th century. In 1521, Philippe de Monte was born in Mechelen, where he was probably educated as a choir boy in St Rumbold's Cathedral. His flourishing career brought him to Italy, England, Vienna and Prague, where he died in 1603. He was one of the most productive composers of his time, with no less than 1200 madrigals, 300 motets and 40 masses.
Voices of Passion seizes the opportunity to give this lesser-known master the attention he deserves.
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“The refinement of Vox Luminis is never anything less than sublime” (Gramophone)
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artistic direction Lionel Meunier photo Tom Blaton
