San Pietro

This cycle of 21 spiritual madrigals for seven voices is at once the swan song of the most famous composer of his time, who died in 1594 at the age of 62 just three weeks after dedicating the work to the Pope, and the high point of Counter-Reformation polyphony. More than four centuries later, Philippe Herreweghe's superb performance of the Lagrime di San Pietro proves that the work still has the power to touch the hearts of sensitive listeners.

Although there are several other recordings of this set of “religious madrigals” (as Orlando di Lasso himself called these settings of texts by the Italian poet Luigi Tansillo), this one seems to most satisfyingly capture both the abundantly rich sonorities and the ardent and surprisingly consoling mood of Lasso’s music. Although the text concerns the apostle Peter’s remorse after denying his Lord three times–drawing its cue from the Biblical passage “And Peter went out, and wept bitterly”–it’s presented as a rather complex drama that dwells not on specifics of events but more on the psychological aspects of Peter’s situation, as he realizes the full depth of his betrayal and the reach of his Master’s love.

This documentary movie is about the battle of San Pietro, a small village in Italy. Over 1,100 US soldiers were killed while trying to take this location, that blocked the way for the Allied forces from the Germans.