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Around 1600, Italian madrigals were widely circulated throughout Northern Europe via influential anthologies, printed in the workshop of Petrus Phalesius or Phalèse. This family of printers from Leuven settled in Antwerp in 1581 and helped put the port city on the map as a centre of excellence for music typography.

This way, the Italian madrigal reached a wide range of musicians in a variety of contexts. Music by composers such as Luca Marenzio and Marc’Antonio Ingegneri crossed borders with ease. What originated in Italy soon became part of a shared European repertoire, performed both by professional ensembles and by cultured amateur circles.

Drawing on early 17th-century collections of madrigals published in Antwerp, the Fieri Consort explores the various ways in which these works could be interpreted in practice. The programme demonstrates the flexibility of the madrigal genre and reveals a repertoire that was shaped as much by performers as by composers.

As part of the Leuven Library of Music in Facsimile series, the Alamire Foundation will shortly publish a new facsimile and accompanying study on Phalèse’s madrigal prints that have been preserved in Central Europe.

Featuring music by Luca Marenzio, Marc’Antonio Ingegneri and others

Bio

Fieri Consort is a British ensemble that combines technical finesse with theatrical flair. With no conductor separating the performers from the audience, they deliver compelling and inventive performances of 16^th- and 17^th-century music. Sometimes performed a cappella, other times accompanied by period instruments, their interpretations reflect the ensemble’s collective expertise and passion for this unique repertoire.

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>>> This concert is part of Voices of Passion 2027.

During this festival edition, discover how Franco-Flemish composers of the 16th century travelled along international routes, finding fertile ground wherever they went. Along with them, music—preserved in manuscript and print—resounded in numerous urban centres, at princely courts, and in chapels, churches, and cathedrals.

Leuven and polyphony have been closely intertwined for centuries. Together with the Alamire Foundation, 30CC highlights this tradition, as well as current scholarship and performance practice, during the Passion of the Voices festival.

More info

www.fiericonsort.co.uk

artistic direction Hannah Ely with  Hannah Ely, Stephanie Dillon, Christopher Fitzgerald‑Lombard, Thomas Kelly, Joshua Cooter, Ben Rowarth and Toby Carr