motet notes - Lassus

With nearly sixty Mass settings, one hundred Magnificats, and an astonishing five hundred motets as well as several hindered secular works, Flemish composer Orlando de Lassus (1530-1594) is one of the most prolific and celebrated composers of the Renaissance.  However, his contemporary Palestrina has overshadowed his legacy. "Oculus non vidit," with text from 1 Corinthians 2:9, is a straightforward two voice setting for treble voices.  The lucidity of the imitative counterpoint seems almost intentionally in stark contrast to the mystery of faith expressed in the text.

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