11.06.17 Bruxelles

O dulcis invites you on a journey through the rich emotional tapestry of Renaissance vocal music. From the luminous spirituality of Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Jesu, Dulcis Memoria and O Magnum Mysterium to the joyful brilliance of Thomas Weelkes’ Gloria, this program opens with sacred works that reflect the sweetness and mystery evoked in the concert’s title.

The heart of the concert explores the expressive depths of human emotion: the serene devotion of William Byrd’s Ave Verum Corpus, the bittersweet longing in John Bennet’s Weep, O Mine Eyes, and the playful exuberance of Thomas Morley and Pierre Passereau, whose madrigals bring humor, charm, and vivid character to life.

Crossing linguistic and stylistic borders, we hear the refined melancholy of Josquin Des Prez, the witty lightness of Pierre Certon, and the night-shrouded beauty of Orlando di Lasso’s La nuit froide et sombre.The concert culminates with the emotional richness of Claudio Monteverdi, whose madrigals—by turns passionate, sorrowful, and radiant—demonstrate the expressive power that would soon carry music into the Baroque.