Gregorio Allegri (1582–1652) was an Italian composer and priest of the Baroque period. Born and educated in Rome, Allegri worked as a singer and composer at St Peter’s Basilica and later in the papal chapel at the Sistine Chapel. He became famous above all for his sacred music. His works are characterised by harmony and spiritual depth and still hold particular significance in church music today.

His best-known work, the Miserere, was probably composed around 1638 and is a setting of Psalm 51 (Miserere mei, Deus – ‘Have mercy on me, O God’). This work was traditionally sung during the Good Friday night service in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The piece is particularly moving due to the alternation between a five-part choir and a four-part ensemble, with the choir shifting to higher registers at certain points to create an almost otherworldly atmosphere.

The installation „Miserere“ draws on the original work and translates it into an electroacoustic sound and light installation. The composition incorporates specially produced recordings of the original work, sounds from a self-playing piano and material from a speech synthesiser.