There are only seven masses with the title ‘Quodlibetica’. The term, which refers to a polyphonic patchwork based on melodies that were familiar at the time, was first used by Jacobus Vaet (1529-1567). He was a singer at Charles V’s court before becoming Maximilian II’s maestro di cappella. His Missa Quodlibetica is a brilliant potpourri of tunes from both spiritual and secular sources. The Antwerp-based Utopia Ensemble, which has repeatedly dazzled audiences at Laus Polyphoniae, strings together the parts of the mass with carefully selected motets for a dizzying afternoon of polyphony.
Program
J. Vaet: Missa quodlibetica
Performers
Michaela Riener, mezzo-soprano | Bart Uvyn, countertenor | Adriaan De Koster, tenor | Lieven Termont, baritone | Guillaume Olry, bass