Huelgas Ensemble

For more than fifty years, the Huelgas Ensemble led by Paul Van Nevel has been one of the most acclaimed ensembles, specializing in the performance of polyphonic music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The well-known musician Orlandus Lassus (1532-1594) was inspired no less than twice by the moving Bible text from the books of Jeremiah about the fall of the city of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The texts describe in extremely emotional images the grief for the loss of the city. The four-part Lamentations are an absolute highlight in the oeuvre of Lassus. They were sung in the nightly, dark matins of the Goede Week, before sunrise. In this composition, Lassus shows the versatile virtuosity that flowed from his pen. De Hebreeuwse letters are extensively decorated melismas. The verses themselves he composed in a very varied style: homophonic passages are alternated with polyphonic parts, in which he makes extensive use of the numerous metaphors and images from the text. The whole thing therefore gets a dramatic character. In these restless times, the universal value of this lament proves once again. Huelgas Ensemble brings exactly what we need, a beautiful program in the run-up to Easter.