On May 24, 1594, three weeks before his death, Orlando di Lasso completed his last work, the Lagrime di San Pietro (Saint-Peter’s tears). It consists of 21 pieces for seven voices; 20 spiritual madrigals in Italian, and a final motet in Latin, sung a cappella. Di Lasso had produced a substantial body of work, demonstrated his mastery of all the musical genres of the Renaissance era, and was hailed by French poet Ronsard as “more than divine Orlando.” For several decades, he served the court of Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria in Munich, and was held in high esteem by his employer, and by princes and musicians all over Europe.
"...Jackson uses the fullness of seven-voice writing to play with texture and dynamics, from the most subtle to the bombastic. Everything is a balance between the soft imagery of the secular madrigal and the pious stoicism of the religious chant; from this point of view, the success is resounding... " ****
René Bricault - La Scena Musicale - 1 November 2010
"Lassus’s final masterpiece in a reading that is full of insight...Jackson’s singers keep the music moving, while remaining attentive to the significance of the merest details, and the final motet has an impressive, detached serenity. They have the voices to sustain prolonged and intense scrutiny (the 21 movements take up the whole disc)... The recorded sound is good ... there is much to admire here."
Fabrice Fitch - Gramophone Magazine - 1 January 2011
*** (out of 4) "These 21 short, seven-part vocal pieces tell of the tormented soul of the Apostle Peter after he denies being a disciple of Jesus, in the telling of the Passion. The first 20 are madrigals. The final is a spectacularly gorgeous motet setting of Christ’s response: "Behold, man, what I suffer for you..." The Tears of St. Peter are the final musical testament of Renaissance composer Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594), one of the masters of polyphony. The Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal, led by veteran period-music leader Christopher Jackson, bring this music to vibrant life."
John Terauds - Toronto Star - 5 October 2010
