MUSICAL CONNECTIONS: Ten early madrigals

Ten early madrigals

Madrigals ancient and modern launch a pair of parallel century-hopping musical journeys.

Les Arts Florissants' 2016 Gramophone award-winning Monteverdi album inspired our two journeys.

A journey through Italian madrigals reveals a slow transformation from introverted, reflective styles to declamatory, quasi-operatic scenes. The intimate ‘barbershop’ sound of The King’s Singers suits early works particularly well, especially Arcadelt’s subtly erotic setting of a swan song. This sense of intimacy is transformed by the young Monteverdi’s almost claustrophobic Baci soave, e cari in which Les Arts Florissants bristle with energy responding to the delicate combination of text and dissonance. [...]

• Arcadelt Il bianco e dolce cigno King’s Singers Warner 
• Monteverdi Baci soave, e cari Les Arts Florissants LAF 
• Marenzio Solo e pensoso Huelgas Ens Sony Classical 
• Gesualdo Io parto… Compagnie del Madrigale Glossa 
• Monteverdi Sfogava co… Voces Suaves Ambronay 
• Monteverdi Cruda Amarilli Concerto Italiano Naïve 
• Monteverdi Lamento d’Arianna Consort of Musicke Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 
• Monteverdi Lettera amorosa Figueras Alia Vox 
• Monteverdi Lettera amorosa Berberian Wergo 
• Monteverdi Il combattimento Villazón Erato

To read the full text of this article please visit www.gramophone.co.uk (May 2007)