Several years ago, Jerome Lejeune started a label that was one of the pillars of the rediscovery of ancient and baroque music. Many artistes then joined the movement. Amongst other memories, Ricercar has had the privilege of welcoming Philippe Herreweghe’s two vocal ensembles, the Collegium Vocale and the Chapelle Royale, their first record being devoted to music of Palestrina.

Time has passed, some artistes have gone on to other things, others have come back to the fold, LPs have given way to CDs, and the identity of Ricercar has asserted itself more and more strongly in the domain of early music. No fewer than 250 recordings have been made. Many are veritable lessons in the history of music, exploring themes such as German baroque music, the organ works of J.S. Bach and his German predecessors, Franco-Flemish polyphonic music, Monteverdi’s sources of inspiration and his influence, the discovery of early instruments, medieval secular monody.

An interest in the vast heritage of Belgium and the old Lowlands has also been an important element in the label’s editorial policy, and has enabled Ricercar to promote a repertory of very high quality by recalling the importance of composers born in these regions and whose activity was preeminent abroad: Lassus, Du Mont, Grétry, Franck, to mention only the most famous. And wonderful Belgian performers came along to show that the ground was still fertile.

Ricercar is also an astonishing personality, that of Jérôme Lejeune who has been master aboard for the past twenty-five years, shouldering all the productions as much on a scientific and artistic level as technical. With La Fenice and Jean Tubéry, Millenarium, La Pastorella and Frédéric de Roos, the Namur Chamber Choir, Les Agrémens and Guy Van Waas, Continens Paradisi, Bernard Foccroulle, Sophie Karthäuser and many others, the label’s future is more than ever shaped by thrilling discographic projects!