Claves Record

Philippus de Monte : Motets, madrigals & chansons

Philippus (or Philippe) de Monte and Roland de Lassus are considered the two central figures in the golden age of Franco-Flemish polyphony that originated at the beginning of the 15th century and that determined stylistic trends in Western Europe for nearly two centuries. De Monte was Kapellmeister at the Habsburg court in Vienna from 1568 until his death in 1603 (at the very respectable age of 82); before that he had made a name for himself in Italy and in England – where he met William Byrd but was unhappy working at the court. Extremely prolific, his madrigals are characterized not only by an exquisite mastery of polyphony but also by a special attention to the sung text – he was a disciple of the humanist movement and put particular emphasis on the rhetorical resources of language. His sacred music, also of great import, consists primarily of masses and motets and is comparable to Palastrina’s music. His some 250 motets were written in a style that could be described as typically “Renaissance”. His chansons, fewer in number, took their texts from brilliant Pierre de Ronsard, the preferred poet of the time. The Ensemble Orlando from Fribourg under the direction of Laurent Gendre on their first recording for Claves render homage to all the contrasting facets of Philippus de Monte’s works. Richly documented, the booklet was prepared under the direction of Ignace Bossuyt, professor in Louvain and renowned expert for Franco-Flemish polyphonic music.