THE WORK
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina composed four series of Lamentations on the Latin translation of the text written by Jeremiah. This third series, which has been newly recorded here, is certainly one of the most moving. Its variety of polyphony is particularly rich, with an alternation of diverse combinations of groups of voices (from two to six). The profound dissonance, the painful modulations but also the purity of some of the rhythms illustrates Palestrina at the height of his art. The expressiveness that resonates is particularly overwhelming..;
THE PERFORMERS
Brussels-born Guy Janssens started his musical education in Leuven/Louvain, studying the piano and cello at the conservatory and singing at Keizersberg/Mont César Abbey choir school. He then joined Leuven University Orchestra as a cellist, pursuing his studies at Brussels Royal Conservatory, from which he graduated with piano and chamber music diplomas. This marked the beginning of his professional career as pianist and teacher.
Driven by his love for choral and orchestral music, he conducted various groups in Belgium and Germany. In 1991, he founded the Laudantes Consort, a dozen singers with whom he worked the Renaissance repertoire in depth. Having given various concerts with this ensemble, he joined forces with Jean Salkin, founder of the Médiathèque de Belgique, to record a series of twelve CDs under the title “L’Age d’Or de la polyphonie vocale européenne” (the Golden Age of European choral polyphony) between 1994 and 2000. The series was a resounding success.
Wishing to explore other periods, Guy Janssens re-configured the ensemble in variable geometry format, paving the way for concerts in various different genres: a cappella, cantatas, oratorios, symphonies and concertos.
In 2005, he embarked upon another major recording project entitled “Requiem à travers les siècles” (Requiem through the centuries), which culminated in 2007 with the world première of Pierre Bartholomée’s Requiem with the Laudantes Consort and the Musiques Nouvelles Ensemble.
Guy Janssens has received regular invitations to perform in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and elsewhere.
