That’s certainly an arresting disc title. So the first question must
concern Gualberto Magli. A pupil of Giulio Caccini, he was one of the Medici
family’s favourite singers, entering their service in 1604. He sang in the
premiere of Monteverdi’s
L’Orfeo in Mantua, almost immediately
afterwards performing at the wedding of Cosimo Medici. Later Magli left
Florence, entering the service of the Elector of Brandenburg. Magli died in
1625 and is buried in his native city, Florence.
This homage illustrates his importance as a singer, most notably through
L’Orfeo but also via arias from both Giulio and Francesca Caccini
that reflect his stay in Florence. It also explains the presence of
Sigismondo d’India’s two pieces in the programme. This, then, serves as a
kind of musical portrait of a musician of great significance in the first
quarter of the seventeenth century. The booklet notes, jointly written by
performers Chiara Granata and Raffaele Pe, present the most pertinent
details astutely.
This though isn’t a solo album. Counter tenor Raffaele Pe is joined by
Chiara Granata (triple harp) and David Miller (theorbo) who singly or
together evoke some rich colours from their instruments. They supply
dextrous textures for the prologue from
L’Orfeo and indeed
throughout whether the music is more theatrical and powerful (d’India) or
lighter in spirit. Pe has a well-focused counter tenor voice, expressive but
not at all florid. With a fine approach to phrasing comes an agile way with
decorations. At their finest – and they are close to their finest in the
Nauwach-Caccini
Amarilii mia bella – they never take this old
favourite for granted. The vocal line is refined, the accompaniment deft.
The more urgent imprecations of Francesca Caccini’s
Dispiegate guance
amate are similarly well done. It’s in the d’India
Ancidetemi pur
(Lamento di Giasone) that Pe’s tone is at its most focused, forward and
piercing, his singing of this rich and plangent lament reflecting well on
his musical instincts. To add variety there is a harp solo, the excellent
Toccata by Giovanni Maria Trabaci and a couple of echo arias – one,
in part at least, is Girolamo Montesardo’s
Hor che la nott’ombrosa.
There is also, rather unusually
, a contemporary work,
Solo e
pensoso by Alessandro Ciccolini, which is itself a homage to the genre,
and sounds part of the continuum of seventeenth-century music.
The church acoustic is very pleasing. Even in the welter of counter tenor
discs, Pe’s precisely targeted concept album rewards close listening.
Jonathan WoolfContents
Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)
L’Orfeo: Musica (Prologue) [5:34]: Primo Intermezzo [0:33]
Speranza [Act III)
[2:44]: Possente spirit [1:11] Proserpina [Act IV) [3:39]
Johann NAUWACH (1595-1630) and Giulio CACCINI
(1550-1618)
Amarilii mia bella [3:37]
Francesca CACCINI (1587-c.1645)
Dispiegate guance amate [2:34]
Giulio CACCINI (1550-1618)
Sfogava con le stele [2:31]
Sigismondo d’INDIA (c.1582-1629)
Ancidetemi pur (Lamento di Giasone) [7:05]
Piangono al pianger mio [3:10]
Francesco LAMBARDI (1587-1642)
O felice quell giorno [2:40]
Giovanni Maria TRABACI (c.1575-1647)
Toccata seconda per l’arpa [2:40]
Girolamo MONTESARDO (1580-1620)
Hor che la nott’ombrosa [3:04]
Alessandro CICCOLINI (b.1970)
Solo e pensoso [7:27]
ANONYMOUS 17th CENTURY
Se fama al mondo [2:11]
Johann NAUWACH (1595-1630)
Tempesta di dolcezza [1:51]
Jetzund kömpt die nacht herbey [4:21]
