REBIRTH: Music from Palestrina’s time

In 2025 the music world will celebrate the 500th year of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s birthday. It is known that he is one of the most influential composers of all times, being the favorite composer of the Vatican. But it is not so known that Palestrina had a decisive influence for the musical scene in Lithuania, since three of his direct pupils were kapellmeisters at the Vasa court. We could even say that through his pupils Annibale Stabile, Asprilio Pacelli and Giovanni Francesco Anerio, Palestrina’s music survived and evolved in Lithuania.

For all these reasons, in 2025 the ensemble Canto Fiorito and the Kretinga Early Music Festival will make a big celebration, with concerts of Palestrina’s music in all corners of Lithuania. To introduce this music to Kretinga’s audiences, this year Rodrigo Calveyra has created a special program of music from all over Europe, created before Palestrina and during his time, featuring pieces by Josquin Desprez, Jacques Arcadelt, Thomas Tallis, Cristóbal de Morales, Orlando di Lasso, William Byrd, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Hieronymus Praetorius and Palestrina himself. This program will be performed by the Lithuanian vocal ensemble Duodeco (artistic director of the ensemble Povilas Vanžodis), conducted by R. Calveyra.