Prophetiae Sibyllarum

By the time he had begun work in Germany, Lasso had already enjoyed great success in Italy as a composer for Costantino Castrioto, and was looking to make a new name for himself.

[1] Crook (1998) claims that the introduction, "Carmina Chromatico", has become, "probably the most analyzed piece of Renaissance music by any composer in any genre,"[2] since Lowinsky's 1961 discussion of the prelude's "triadic atonality".

William J. Mitchell, takes issue with Lowinsky's conclusion and suggests that "perhaps the erosion of any stable tonal center is less the fault of Lasso, who seems to have made a splendid effort, than of the analysis which is indeed atonal.

[5] The extremely chromatic setting of this text points toward Lasso's interactions with Cipriano de Rore and Nicola Vicentino, both known for their experiments with chromaticism, during his time at St. John Lateran.

Lowinsky also speculates that "rendering the Sibylline prophecies in chromatic style, the young genius probably implied that chromaticism was the music of the future.