La Hèle: Missa Praeter rerum seriem & Works by Manchicourt, Payen & Rogier

Featuring

Peter Phillips
Marco Antonio García de Paz
El León de Oro
George de La Hèle
Pierre de Manchicourt
Nicolas Payen

Philippe Rogier

Did you know?

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Historical Context

Philip II of Spain, who reigned from 1556-98, appreciated the traditional style of Flemish sacred composition and built an entire chapel choir, the Capilla Flamenca, around this idiom.

Composition History

George de La Hèle's Missa Praeter rerum seriem is based on Josquin des Prez's six-voice motet of the same name, which was one of the most influential compositions of the entire period.

Compositional Technique

Pierre de Manchicourt's six-voice Regina caeli uses a strict mathematical canon between the two soprano parts, where one leads and the other follows at a specific interval and time delay.

Compositional Technique

Manchicourt sometimes included playful, serious instructions in his manuscripts, like 'sans souspirer ne chantez poinctz' (without breathing, and don't sing dots), which altered the rhythmic interpretation of parts.

Historical Context

This album explores the work of a neglected school of Flemish composers who lived in Madrid towards the end of the Renaissance period, all employed by Philip II of Spain.

Composition History

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake destroyed the 70,000-volume royal library, including most of Philippe Rogier's music and almost all of Géry de Ghersem's, making research into these composers challenging.

Historical Context

From 1556 until 1634, the royal court's music was divided between the Capilla Real (Spanish instrumentalists) and the Capilla Flamenca (Flemish singers), who built an astonishing repertoire in their native style in a foreign land.