ARTE – Orlando di Lasso – A Composer’s Life in the Renaissance (2024)
English | Documentary | Size: 1.19 GB
Through an original staging of music and words, ‘Orlando’ walks us in the footsteps of one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, Orlando di Lasso.
The Franco-Flemish musician Orlando di Lasso – also known as Roland or Orlande de Lassus – is considered one of the most important composers of the 16th century. He achieved fame and recognition during his lifetime (1532-1594), but his rise from humble beginnings to the courtly elite was adventurous and fraught with conflict: As a choirboy in the church choir of his hometown of Mons (now in Belgium), he was twice abducted by recruiters from foreign courts because of his silvery voice, only to be rescued by his parents. Finally, in 1544, he entered the service of the Viceroy of Sicily, Ferrante I Gonzaga.
With him, he traveled throughout High Renaissance Italy and received formative influences, particularly in Naples, from folk songs and the Commedia dell’arte. In 1556, he was summoned to the court of Duke Albrecht V in Munich, where he developed a diverse musical career and rose to the position of Kapellmeister (court music director). “Orlando,” as his contemporaries called him, soon became a star of European musical life and the humanistically educated cultural world.
But this extraordinary fame also brought him many difficulties. Until the end of his life, he struggled against the humiliations he had to endure as a mere servant of an authoritarian duke. Over time, he developed a unique and critical view of society. This was reflected in his musical works and in a correspondence that is also the oldest surviving composer’s correspondence.
Moving and immersive, this documentary by Joachim Thôme offers a meditation on the relationship between art and power, and unfolds the life of this fascinating artist through the original staging of music and spoken word, as well as through the masterful performances of the vocal and instrumental ensemble La Tempête.
Written & Directed by Joachim Thôme ; Les Productions du Verger, Supermouche Productions and Altitude 100 Co-Production with RTBF, ARTE G.E.I.E and WIP – Wallonie Image Production
Narrator: Béatrice Didier
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