Missa Miserere mihi Domini. Magnificat

Lisbon, 1589-1650: from the monastery to which he had gone into retreat and where he remained for 61 years, a lone composer was busy carrying on the great Renaissance tradition in polyphony, whilst outside the whole Portuguese nation was gradually falling apart under Spanish domination. The composer was Manuel Cardoso, one of the main representatives of the School of Alentejo. His religious aspirations corresponded admirably with the wounded national pride that was the overriding sentiment at the time. This music may well be out of phase with its time, but it remains eternal in its profound spirituality.