At the Willaert concert by Dionysus!Now on Friday, May 27 in Ghent, an important figure from Portugal was present. Mr. João Chambers, programmer at Portuguese radio ANTENA 2, had come especially for the occasion. He produces an early music program on the radio, a weekly broadcast of two hours each under the title MUSICA AETERNA. He mentioned that in October he will prepare two broadcasts of two hours each about Adriaen Willaert and Dionysus!Now.
MUSICA AETERNA is a very respectable program, also known here. It airs every Sunday afternoon from 5 PM to 7 PM (our time) and is repeated the following Saturday from 1 PM to 3 PM (our time).
For example, the broadcast on Sunday, May 29 has the theme "The Fall of Constantinople in 1453 – Part II". First we hearO très piteux de tout espoir fontaineby Guillaume Dufay (1397? – 1474) performed by Jordi Savall. Also religious works by Dufay, alternated with Byzantine liturgical music.
On Sunday, May 22, rebroadcast on Saturday, May 28, the subject was: "The Fall of Constantinople – Part I". In that episode we also hear various pieces by Guillaume Dufay sung by the Cappella Romana. Furthermore, also fragments from Byzantine liturgy.
The works are explained thoroughly, with plenty of music and only brief texts. Thankfully, because we don't understand Portuguese.
All past broadcasts can still be listened to online. There are already 556 of them!
Ten years ago, December 15, 2012, there was a program dedicated to Adriaen Willaert, marking the 450th anniversary of his death. In that broadcast we hear, among other things, recordings from the beautiful CD with Willaert's Marian Vespers performed by the Capilla Flamenca conducted by Dirk Snellings.
relisten to the program here
- Musica Aeterna Episode 22 – from May 29, 2022 – RTP Play – RTP
- Musica Aeterna Episode 21 – from May 22, 2022 – RTP Play – RTP
Arnold Loose, on behalf of the Adriaen Willaert Foundation, Roeselare
