Orlandus Lassus composed over a hundred Magnificats, more than any other Renaissance composer, demonstrating his special devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Interpretation
This recording presents each Magnificat immediately after its model madrigal, allowing listeners to hear the creative process and skill Lassus used in re-working his source material.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Lassus's 'alchemy' refers to his immense ingenuity in transforming pre-existing musical models into verses of the Magnificat, rarely quoting literally but generating a new musical surface.
Album & Artwork
This album, 'The Alchemist Volume 1', is the first in a three-part series, focusing on Magnificats based on madrigals; subsequent volumes will feature motets and chansons.
Compositional Technique
More than a third of Lassus's Magnificats are based on pre-existing polyphonic models, including Italian madrigals, Latin motets, and French chansons.
Compositional Technique
Lassus's Magnificats often use 'alternatim' practice, alternating between plainsong and polyphony, with music typically composed only for the even-numbered verses.
Compositional Technique
Lassus was the first composer to apply the 'parody mass' principle, where works are modelled on pre-existing compositions, to the more compact genre of the Magnificat.
