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Donald Macleod explores how Palestrina reinvents himself with a new marriage, new trades, and new music of course, but also by joining a collective that celebrates his legacy.

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c.1525-1594) was one of the most influential composers in European classical music. With his countless masses, motets and madrigals, infused with a deep sense of spirituality and musical beauty, Palestrina was named the 'Saviour of Church Music' at a revolutionary time when Rome was rewriting the rules of music composition. But what do we know about this mysterious character, between historical fact and hagiographic myth? Donald Macleod follows the clues, to try and reconstruct the story of a fascinating composer, on the (approximately) 500th anniversary of his birth.

In this fifth episode, Donald Macleod explores how Palestrina reinvents himself with a new marriage, new trades, and new music of course, but also by joining a collective that celebrates his legacy.

Il primo libro di madrigal (First Book of Madrigals)
Sestina. Mai fu piu crud’o spietata morte
Concerto Italiano
Rinaldo Alessandrini, conductor

Ad te levavi
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
Graham Ross, conductor/harpsichord

Johann Joseph Fux: Gradus ad Parnassum
Fugue
Andreas Staier, harpsichord

Francesco Soriano: Alpha à 6
Lambert Colson, cornett
Bernard Fouccroulle, organ
InAlto

Canticum Canticorum (Song of Solomon)
Osculetur me osculo oris sui
Ensemble Vocal Régional de Champagne-Ardenne
Akademia
Françoise Lasserre, conductor

Missa Memor esto verbi tui a 5
III. Credo
Choir of Clare College, Cambridge
Graham Ross, conductor/organ

Stabile/Soriano/Dragoni/Palestrina/Giovannelli/Santini/Mancini: Missa Cantantibus organis (from the motet Cantantibus Organis by Palestrina)
Sanctus (composed by Curzio Mancini)
Officium Ensemble
Wilfried Rombach, conductor

Sacred Madrigals, Book 2 (Delle madrigali spirituali libro secondo)
E questo spirto
Corvina Consort
Zoltán Kalmanovits, conductor

Libera me Domine
Hilliard Ensemble

Hans Pfitzner: Palestrina
Act III, Scene 3: Nun schmiede mich
Peter Schreier, tenor (Palestrina)
Chorus of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin
Staatskapelle Berlin
Otmar Suitner, conductor

Ave Maria
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers, conductor

Presenter: Donald Macleod
Producer: Julien Rosa
Production Coordinator: Ellie Phillips
Sound Engineer: Jonathan Thomas
Studio Recording: Susan Thomas
Composer of the Week is a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Audio Wales & West production for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 3

20 days left to listen

59 minutes

Last on

Fri 20 Jun 2025 16:00

Music Played

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Mai fu piu crud'o spietata morte

    Ensemble: Concerto Italiano. Director: Rinaldo Alessandrini.
    • TACTUS : tc-521601.
    • TACTUS.
    • 27.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Ad te levavi

    Performer: Graham Ross. Choir: Clare College Cambridge Choir.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMM 905375.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 10.
  • Johann Joseph Fux

    Gradus ad Parnassum (Fugue)

    Performer: Andreas Staier.
    • ALPHA.
  • Francesco Soriano

    Alpha a 6

    Performer: Lambert Colson. Performer: Bernard Fouccroulle. Ensemble: InAlto.
    • PASSACAILLE.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Osculetur me osculo oris sui Trahe me post te

    Ensemble: Ensemble Vocal Regional De Champagne-Ardenne. Ensemble: Akadêmia. Conductor: Françoise Lasserre.
    • PIERRE VERANY : PV-795092.
    • PIERRE VERANY.
    • 1.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Missa Memor esto verbi tui (Credo)

    Performer: Graham Ross. Choir: Clare College Cambridge Choir.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMM 905375.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 15.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Missa Cantantibus organis (Sanctus)

    Ensemble: Officium Ensemble. Conductor: Wilfried Rombach.
    • CHRISTOPHORUS : CHR 77288.
    • CHRISTOPHORUS.
    • 6.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    E questo spirto

    Choir: Corvina Consort. Director: Zoltán Kalmanovits.
    • HUNGAROTON : HCD 32497.
    • HUNGAROTON.
    • 21.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Libera me Domine

    Performer: The Hilliard Ensemble.
    • ECM RECORDS : 457-851-2.
    • ECM RECORDS.
    • 16.
  • Hans Pfitzner

    Palestrina, Act 3, Scene 3, Nun schmiede mich

    Singer: Peter Schreier. Choir: Berlin Opera Chorus. Orchestra: Berlin State Orchestra. Conductor: Otmar Suitner.
    • BRILLIANT CLASSICS : 95113.
    • BRILLIANT CLASSICS.
    • 21.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Ave Maria

    Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • CORO : COR-16091.
    • CORO.
    • 15.

Broadcast

  • Fri 20 Jun 2025 16:00

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