Le Concert Spirituel Delivers a Sumptuous Musical Journey Into Renaissance Florence at BBC Proms
LONDON, UK – The BBC Proms 2025 offered audiences an extraordinary glimpse into late Renaissance Florence when Le Concert Spirituel, under the direction of Hervé Niquet, performed a program centered on Alessandro Striggio’s monumental choral works. The concert, held at the Royal Albert Hall, recreated the grandeur of Florentine liturgical music while introducing modern listeners to masterpieces that had been nearly forgotten.
Striggio’s Monumental Mass
The centerpiece of the evening was Striggio’s Missa Sopra Ecco Sì Beato Giorno, a mass for 40 to 60 voices that had been lost for nearly four centuries before its rediscovery in 2005. Striggio, a Mantuan-born composer active in Florence, used his works as both musical innovation and political diplomacy, touring Europe with these audacious creations to showcase Medici cultural supremacy.
Performed at the Proms, the mass revealed its enduring power. The Agnus Dei resonated with colossal sonorities, while the Osanna in Excelsis erupted in jubilant cascades of voices, layering harmonies that filled the hall with sonic brilliance. Even as the 40-part textures exposed individual voices, the performance conveyed the scale and ambition Striggio intended.
Renaissance Treasures Beyond Striggio
While Striggio provided the marquee work, the program was rich with other Renaissance gems. The transition from plainchant in honor of the Virgin Mary to Orazio Benevolo’s Laetatus Sum set the evening’s sumptuous tone.
Particularly striking was Benevolo’s Magnificat, where verses alternated with instrumental ensembles, offering listeners a vivid recreation of Renaissance performance practice. Palestrina motets, accompanied by sackbuts, added historical authenticity, reminding audiences of Florence’s role in shaping European sacred music. The program also highlighted rarities such as Domenico Massenzio’s Filiae Jerusalem, a spirited piece for female voices, and a 40-part Striggio motet that closed the night in dazzling polyphony.
A Circle of Sound: Effective or Limiting?
One notable staging choice saw the singers perform in a closed circle, facing inward on the Royal Albert Hall stage. While this configuration created balance for radio recording, it left sections of the audience with limited projection and a sense of detachment from what was intended as an immersive performance. The decision underscored the challenge of adapting Renaissance music, originally composed for church acoustics, to a modern concert hall.
Despite these staging concerns, the sound’s grandeur still reached deeply into the hall. The ensemble’s lush textures, buoyed by Niquet’s commanding direction, ensured that the audience experienced both intimacy and overwhelming scale.
A Sumptuous Journey Through Florence’s Golden Age
For nearly two hours, Le Concert Spirituel transported listeners back to a Florence defined by Medici patronage and artistic innovation. The blend of rediscovered masterpieces, authentic instrumentation, and bold choral textures offered a rare opportunity to hear Renaissance music in all its splendor.
By the evening’s end, the performance stood not only as a triumph of musicianship but also as a reminder of the BBC Proms’ mission to present music history with freshness and imagination. For audiences in the hall and those listening later via BBC Sounds, the concert offered an immersion in Renaissance grandeur that few will soon forget.
Le Concert Spirituel’s Proms concert was a breathtaking showcase of rediscovered masterpieces and Renaissance brilliance. For more reviews of global performances and music festival highlights, visit ChicagoMusicGuide.com.