Requiem Masses by Victoria and Duarte Lobo

Tomás Luis de Victoria’s (1548–1611) Officium Defunctorum is regarded as one of the crowning achievements of the European Renaissance and one of the finest expressions of Spanish musical mysticism. Composed for the funeral rites of Empress Maria of Austria at the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, the cycle follows the principal stages of the funeral liturgy, from the Matins of the Office of the Dead to the Requiem Mass and final absolution. Even today, it is remarkable for the expressive intensity achieved through extraordinary restraint.

The second half of the programme brings this work into dialogue with the eight-voice Missa pro defunctis by Duarte Lobo (c. 1565–1646), a central figure in Portuguese sacred polyphony of the early 17th century. Published in Antwerp in 1621, Lobo’s Requiem reflects the continuity of the Iberian polyphonic tradition, developing an expansive and solemn musical language closely linked to the plainchant of the Office of the Dead and characterised by a balance between luminous homophony and restrained counterpoint.

Pre-concert talk by Alexandre Delgado at 7:30pm.

El Corte Inglés supports the CCB’s Classical Music Mediation Programme.