Lassus: Lagrime di San Pietro

Orlande de Lassus created nothing finer than the Lagrime di San Pietro, a collection of 20 spiritual madrigals and one motet for seven voices; A cycle of intense reflections on the sorrows of St Peter following his denial of Christ, it was assembled shortly before the composer’s death in 1594 and dedicated to Pope Clement VIII. Into this collection Lassus pours every dramatic nuance and piece of harmonic invention he could possibly muster, hurling the listener through the stages of Peter’s rage, remorse and resignation, and concluding with a motet which presents Christ’s response to the world. Gallicantus add to their already impressive catalog of works on Signum with this new recording.