Motets & Madrigals

Experience a captivating tapestry of litanies, madrigals and lamentations, showcasing some of the extraordinary writing of two of the Renaissance’s most famous composers.

Palestrina was one of the most highly acclaimed musicians of the sixteenth century, and wrote a tremendous number of choral works, refining the musical style of his time. His compositions, characterised by a sense of elegance and balance, reflect his steadfast adherence to traditional melodic and harmonic conventions. In contrast, the writing of notorious composer Carlo Gesualdo is well known for pushing compositional boundaries, with chromatic melodies creating dissonant and disjointed harmonic progressions that illuminate the most melancholy aspects of the dark texts he set.

In this programme, The Gesualdo Six, one of the world’s finest vocal consorts, explore some of the most beautiful and evocative writing from these two great masters, featuring sacred works such as the ‘Gloria’ from Missa Papae Marcelli, settings of the Tenebrae Responsories, and profoundly moving motets,
Super flumina Babylonis and Peccantem me quotidie. The artistry of both composers also finds expression in the intricate interplay of secular and sacred madrigals, espousing narratives both poignant and jubilant.