Laus Polyphoniae has been supporting young talent for a long time. This year again we provide a stage for an emergent ensemble. The young Belgian singers collective Aequalis sings, just like 500 years ago, in the choir of Our Ladys Cathedral selected Mass parts from the Mechelen Choir Book, one of the most precious works of art owned by the Flemish Community. This magnificent and voluminous manuscript contains Masses by Pierre de la Rue and Matthaeus Pipelare. Aequalis has chosen to perform the Missa pascale of de la Rue. Before this mini concert you are welcome to admire the original manuscripts in the exhibition Petrus Alamire, Polyphony in the picture.

Each concert lasts around 25 minutes.

This concert is also programmed on: wednesday 19/08, thursday 20/08, friday 21/08 and sunday 23/08.

22 August, 2015 15:00 -- o-l-v-kathedraal

In 1506 the Hapsburg-Burgundian archduke Philip the Fair died. The poet and historian Jean Lemaire de Belges wrote about the solemn funeral ceremony in Mechelen on 19 July 1507: The singers of the deceased king sang sad laments, starting with the Introit of the Requiem. Lemaire referred to the sonorous Requiem by Pierre de la Rue, one of the earliest polyphonic settings of this genre. In his composition de la Rue strikingly uses dramatic contrasts in colour and ambit, with very high or again very low passages. The Dutch ensemble Cappella Pratensis reconstructs the royal funeral service, singing the five-part Requiem by de la Rue and the motet Absolve quesumus, Domine by Josquin des Prez. Artistic director Stratton Bull and the singers of Cappella Pratensis stand around a replica of the choir book of Pope Leo X preserved in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.

22 August, 2015 20:00 -- st-andrieskerk

The manuscript MS Mus. 15941 from the National Library in Vienna, a gift from the emperor Charles V to the banker Raimund Fugger, differs from most manuscripts of Petrus Alamire in that it doesnt contain Masses, but only motets. No less than 32 works by composers such as Josquin des Prez, Jean Mouton or Ludwig Senfl have been preserved in this priceless manuscript.

Unfortunately the soprano part is missing in these voice books. Mezzo and sleuth Sabine Lutzenberger managed to reconstruct the highest part of these four-part motets by comparing them with other sources, or by applying composition techniques of the early 16th century. Discover this invaluable repertoire!

22 August, 2015 22:15 -- amuz

The International Young Artists Presentation held as part of Laus Polyphoniae 2015 has been rechristened the International Petrus Alamire Lab. The focus is on the musical oeuvre collected by Petrus Alamire in the countless manuscripts he created. What do Alamires five-hundred-year-old manuscripts mean to a 21st century audience? How can polyphonic Renaissance music be a source of inspiration to composers and musicians today, across genres and styles? Musica and AMUZ invited promising musicians and ensembles to come up with original concepts for engaging with Alamires work. You can expect historical performances, transcriptions, contemporary adaptations and multidisciplinary creations based on the work of Petrus Alamire. Discover the interpretations and reinterpretations of a young generation of artists, and listen to them at various locations in the centre of Antwerp. The walk, including five concerts in historic buildings in the city, begins at AMUZ.

23 August, 2015 10:00 -- amuz

Laus Polyphoniae has been supporting young talent for a long time. This year again we provide a stage for an emergent ensemble. The young Belgian singers collective Aequalis sings, just like 500 years ago, in the choir of Our Ladys Cathedral selected Mass parts from the Mechelen Choir Book, one of the most precious works of art owned by the Flemish Community. This magnificent and voluminous manuscript contains Masses by Pierre de la Rue and Matthaeus Pipelare. Aequalis has chosen to perform the Missa pascale of de la Rue. After this mini concert you are welcome to admire the original manuscripts in the exhibition Petrus Alamire, Polyphony in the picture.

Each concert lasts around 25 minutes.

This concert is also programmed on: wednesday 19/08, thursday 20/08, friday 21/08 and saturday 23/08.

23 August, 2015 15:00 -- o-l-v-kathedraal

Following their greatly appreciated appearances in previous years, the Stile Antico singers have now been invited to this festival as well. Incidentally, summer 2015 marks the beginning of their tenth concert season, which they plan to celebrate in style with two different concert programmes. Their first concert for Laus Polyphoniae is dedicated to the music associated with the Habsburg monarchs Maximilian I and his grandson Charles V, who loved to surround themselves with the best musicians of their time.

This outstanding programme reflects various aspects of life at the Habsburg court, ranging from intimate works such as Josquin des Prez settings of Dulces exuviae to motets for special occasions such as the coronation of Maximilian I (Isaacs celebratory Virgo Prudentissima) and the funeral music composed to mark his death, such as the motet Quis dabit oculis by Ludwig Senfl.The Stile Antico singers, with their crystalline sound and fine sense of nuance and expression, are the ideal performers for this programme rich in contrasts.

23 August, 2015 20:00 -- st-pauluskerk