During the period of Spanish rule from 1580 to 1640, a golden age of Portuguese music, Duke João IV and Cardinal Henrique of Braganza played a key role in supporting prominent musicians such as Duarte Lôbo and Filipe de Magalhães. During these years, pivotal for the development of Renaissance polyphony in Portugal, the musical tradition of church music continued in a conservative style.
In the 1630s, the repertoire of cathedral choirs reflected a wide range of works, not only by Lôbo and Magalhães, but also by other Portuguese and Spanish composers. Duarte Lôbo, in particular, was considered a prominent figure, whose compositions were widely circulated not only in Portugal, but throughout Iberia and beyond.
Lôbo, whose birth is estimated to have occurred between 1565 and 1567, was a highly regarded composer until his death in 1646. His music, characterized by a stable, homophonic style, also incorporated dynamic counterpoint, which was particularly striking in his masses and funeral motets.
Filipe de Magalhães, who, like Lôbo, worked as a chorister and student in Évora, was also among the most important composers of his era. Although some of his works were lost after the devastating earthquake of 1755 and were less widely disseminated than Lôbo's, his music is often considered to be of exceptional quality in Portugal.
Magalhães' masses and magnificats, published in the 1630s, demonstrate his musical talent. He wrote works for four to five voices and distinguished himself with original settings of the Agnus Dei, which is why his unique musicality is still appreciated today.