ISEG's Cultural Commission kicks off its 2026 cultural programme with the Concert Gregorian Chant and the Improbable, of the IGL - Instituto Gregoriano de Lisboa, which will take place on 30 January, at 21.00, in the ISEG's CGD Auditorium.
The title of the concert comes from the meaning of the word improbable, from Latin improbabilis, which refers to something that has little chance of happening or being proven. This notion serves as the starting point for a musical and aesthetic reflection that structures the entire programme.
Gregorian Chant is a musical genre with more than a thousand years of history, the consolidation of which took around another millennium, and takes us back to a historically distant era. Despite the abundance of sources and decades of musicological research, its current interpretation inevitably remains an exercise in reconstruction and artistic speculation. As such, any attempt at a fully authentic reproduction is, by its very nature, improbable.
On the other hand, the concerto challenges conventions by integrating a modern instrument - the piano - as an improvised accompaniment.Improbable. This unexpected combination of ancient tradition and contemporary creation aims to offer the audience an unusual musical experience, exploring new sonic possibilities and pushing the boundaries of creativity.
“Gregorian Chant and the Improbable” thereby promises a rare encounter between past and present, inviting the audience to listen to the improbable and rethink how ancient music can enter into a dialogue with today's world.
Free admission.
Programme
Antiphona:Hail Regina
Introitus:Ecce Virgo
Introitus:Hodie scietis
Communio:Vidimus stellam
Sanctus XVII
Communio:Responsum accepit Simeon
Communio:In splendoribus
Agnus Dei XVII
Antiphona:Da pacem