In the 7th century BC, Nebuchadnezzar II, king  of Babylon, conquered Jerusalem. The destruction of the Temple of Solomon, the ruin of the Kingdom of Judah, and the captivity of the Jews in Babylon were described in the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah. The text, which considers this defeat to be a punishment from God, inspired several great composers of the Renaissance. This program features three magnificent and moving polyphonic Lamentations from the 16th century—by the Briton Thomas Tallis, Spaniard Cristóbal de Morales, and Flemish-German Roland de Lassus—, each adapting the magic of counterpoint in the spirit  of his respective nation.

Listen the pre-concert conversation (Natalie Michaud / Andrew McAnerney)

Lamentations  de Jérémie
Thomas Tallis
Cristóbal de Morales
Roland de Lassus