Officium Defunctorum

Tomas Luis de Victoria is definitely one of the most important composers in the musical history of Spain. His masterpiece is the Officium Defunctorum, published in Madrid in 1605. In this requiem written for the funeral of Maria of Austria, daughter of Emperor Charles V the composer reached a mystical intensity of expression. Philippe Herreweghe just loves composers who know how to build entire worlds with sounds, recognizable from the first notes, profound and full of richness. For him, Tomas Luis de Victoria is one of the greatest musical minds ever. So, it was an obvious choice for Herreweghe to make a recording of this heavenly Officium Defunctorum. And, of course, the crystal-clear sound of Collegium Vocale Gent is the perfect instrument to perform such music.