Rome, April 1639. Through the interplay of improvisation and ornamentation, a simple faux-bourdon is transformed into a master-piece, the quintessence of the Baroque. Long reserved exclusively for Holy Week celebrations in the Sistine Chapel, Allegri's Miserere is now one of the most legendary works in the repertoire.

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Around Allegri's polyphonic jewel, this programme takes us on a journey through the musical metamorphoses of Baroque Italy, with Monteverdi, Marazzoli and Rossi. For in Seicento Italy, since the birth of opera, the musical language has been that of the passions, even in the church, where saints and sinners express themselves as lyrical figures. From the profane to the sacred, voices often merge....