During the last twenty years of his life, Orlande de Lassus was the most celebrated composer in Europe. From the time that he took up the duties of maestro di cappella in the Court of the Duke of Bavaria at Munich, he began to be called 'prince of musicians' and 'the divine Olrande'. The pieces selected for this recording represent Lassus' treatment of the theme of dealth during the mature period. The first group considered the death of Christ: second, the death of a christian.