The mid-17th century in Antwerp saw a significant increase in solemn, 'choral' funerals, with up to fifteen monumental funerals per year in St. James's Church around 1650.
Composer Biography
Philippus van Steelant, the composer of the requiem masses on this album, was an organist at St James's church in Antwerp from 1644 until his death in 1670.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The conductor, Frank Agsteribbe, felt that Philippus van Steelant's music, with its grand design and exuberant contrasts, was like 'seeing paintings by Rubens in the score'.
Composition History
One of Philippus van Steelant's requiem masses was performed at the magnificent funeral of Barbara Vekemans, wife of an Antwerp alderman, in 1650.
Instruments
A brand new Antwerp harpsichord, built after an original by Andreas Ruckers from 1644, was used for this recording.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in January 2022, during the peak of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, making it a 'miracle' that the musicians completed it.
Cultural Impact
Philippus van Steelant's collection Missae et Moteta opus 1 was widely distributed in the Southern Netherlands, with copies found in almost every historical music inventory until the mid-18th century.
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