Crowning Gloria

Available for 26 days

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 BBC Audio Wales & West production for BBC Radio 3