A Divine Hope

Stile Antico

A Divine Hope 

A musical journey from inferno to paradise 

Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina – Peccantem me quotidie
Luzzasco Luzzaschi – Quivi sospiri pianti ed alti guai
Francisco Guerrero – Vexilla Regis
Victoria – Te lucis ante terminum
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina – Salve Regina a 5
Chant – Te Deum
Tarquinio Merulo – Salvum fac populum tuum
Cristóbal de Morales – Asperges me
Anon. 14th cent. – Venite a laudere
Tarquinio Merulo – Vergine, madre, figlia del tuo
Vicente Lusitano – Regina Caeli a 5
Tomás Luis de Victoria – Magnificat sexti toni a 12

Telling the story of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Stile Antico descends with Il Divino into Hell, journeys together through Purgatory, and finally arrives at the gates of Heaven. Renaissance madrigals and sacred music by composers such as Victoria, Palestrina and Morales illustrate the way, with music and prayers which the poet features in his epic verse. The music is punctuated by short sections of the Divine Comedy, and texts by Dante himself, set to music by Lazzaschi and Merulo, also narrate the story. At the pinnacle of heaven we meet the Virgin Mary in Tomás Luis de Victoria’s glorious 12-part Magnificat.