The Roman nobleman Emilio de’ Cavalieri was one of the greatest innovators of his time. In the same period as his groundbreaking opera, Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo (Rome, 1600), he composed the equally pioneering Lamentationes Hieremiae prophetae: the lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah for the destruction of Jerusalem. In this music for Holy Week – perhaps the most original contribution to religious repertoire in the Late Renaissance – de’ Cavalieri opens up new dimensions of expressivity by combining polyphonic traditions with dramatic monody and chromatic colouring of the text. Profeti della Quinta, including the entrancing soprano Perrine Devillers, are the ideal ambassadors for this poignant and moving music.
Program
E. de’ Cavalieri: Lamentationes Hieremiae prophetae
Performers
Perrine Devillers, soprano | Doron Schleifer, countertenor | Loïc Paulin, Jacob Lawrence, tenor | Orí Harmelin, theorbo | Elizabeth Rumsey, lirone | Aki Noda-Meurice, organ | Elam Rotem, bass, harpsichord & musical director