Festive Renaissance: Overwhelming performance of the Striggio Mass!

Festive Renaissance: Overwhelming performance of the Striggio Mass!

The 40th Regensburg Early Music Festival concluded with a brilliant performance of Alessandro Striggio's “Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno”. On June 15, 2025, numerous festival-goers, some with suitcases, flocked to St. Blasius Church, where long queues signaled the event. Under the direction of conductor Hervé Niquet, brass and singers entered the church, accompanied by a solemn plainchant introit that gave the listeners a first impression of the musical depth to come.

Striggio's Mass is a Renaissance masterpiece, created between 1565 and 1566, during the reign of Cosimo I de' Medici. The piece, considered the greatest polyphonic composition of its time, comprises 40 separate vocal and instrumental lines divided into five choirs and consists primarily of five main parts: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus – Benedictus and Agnus Dei. This mass impressively brings to life the arts of polyphony and counterpoint, which were considered central forms of expression in the Renaissance.

A festival of sounds

Niquet placed particular emphasis on the interaction between the various choirs and used impressive colors, alternating tempos and expressive gestures to ensure that the audience's hearing was guided. The choirs were characterized by different tonal qualities: Choir III, equipped with sackbuts and Renaissance trombones, offered a profound sound, while Choir IV shone with harp and harpsichord and took the listeners into another world of sound. The purely vocal choirs I and V framed the mass with lyrical power.

Following the concept of historically informed performance, the mass was enriched with contrasting materials to counteract the sonority and avoid monotony. Instrumental interludes and polyphonic works by Francesco Corteccia and Orazio Benevoli were included. While Corteccia offered a transparent sound texture, Benevoli impressed with rhetorical breadth and jubilant grandeur.

A happy ending

The symbiosis of historical sounds and the enthusiasm of the audience meant that the mass stood out as the crowning conclusion of the concert. The audience's response after 70 minutes of music was overwhelming, with loud applause reverberating throughout the church. The concert ended solemnly and harmoniously with Striggio’s “Ecce beatam lucem”, another 40-part work.

The festival organizers were generous and handed out filled chocolates as farewell gifts, which have become a sweet tradition in recent times. The atmosphere was reminiscent of ancient pilgrims being spiritually nourished and gently sent back into the world after a feast.

The “Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno”, which was lost for over 400 years and was only rediscovered in 2005, is causing a renaissance of interest in polyphonic music. Striggio, who once served as the Medici's court composer, not only shaped his time with this work, but also influenced generations of musicians and lovers. Reviving such masterpieces brings historic music to life, giving its deep Renaissance roots a modern twist that delights new listeners.

Further information about this remarkable performance can be found on the pages of operawire, Wikipedia and Beethoven with us.