Requiems by Victoria and Duarte Lobo

Tomás Luis de Victoria's (1548–1611) Officium Defunctorum is considered one of the culminating works of the European Renaissance and a major expression 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 main moments of the funeral rite, from the matins of the vigil to the requiem mass and final absolution, still surprising today with its expressive intensity achieved through extraordinary sobriety. The second part of the program places this work in dialogue with the eight-voice Missa pro defunctis by Duarte Lobo (c. 1565–1646), a central figure in early 17th-century Portuguese sacred polyphony. Published in Antwerp in 1621, Lobo's Requiem reveals the continuity of the Iberian polyphonic tradition, developing a broad and solemn writing style, closely linked to the plainchant of the Office of the Dead and marked by a balance between luminous homophony and restrained counterpoint. Pre-concert talk by Alexandre Delgado at 7:30 PM. El Corte Inglés supports the CCB's Classical Music Mediation Programme.