Monteverdi’s third
book of madrigals was a huge success,
but his eager public had to wait an
unusually long eleven years before the
publication of the fourth book (in Venice
in 1603). In the meantime the composer
travelled, looked for a job, got married
and had a child. Fortunately, we’ve
not had to wait that long for the Naxos
issue of Monteverdi’s fourth book!
The Italian early music
ensemble Delitiae Musicae and their
director, Marco Longhini, are experts
in the field of Italian early music.
As a result, this is a highly scholarly
production – both in terms of the interesting
and informative sleeve-notes, and in
the performance, which is authentic
whilst retaining traditional improvisatory
freedom.
The madrigals - to
poems mainly by Guarini, Gatti, and
Arlotti - are typically love songs,
most of them fairly melancholic but
a few – such as the jollier Quell’angellin
che canta are less lugubrious! Monteverdi
employs a fair amount of fantastic word-painting
("madrigalismo"), as beautifully exemplified
in the first madrigal, Ah, dolente
Partita where two voices on same
voice line then divide into discord
and mourning on the words "dolente partita"
("grievous separation"). I
also loved the musical depictions of
fluttering wings in "vola"
in Quell’angellin che canta, the
amazing ululating laments of Ohime,
se tanto amate (one wonders whether
one has just walked into a Sophocles
play!) and Piagn’e sospira -
haunting enough to raise the hairs on
the back of one’s neck!
This is truly masterful
writing, with songs that are deeply
heart-rending, or full of tremendous
tenderness, all outstandingly performed.
Delitiae Musicae produce a radiant clarity
of sound and piercing intensity of voice
(particularly from alto Paolo Faniullacci),
with perfect intonation, excellent dynamics,
stunning phrasing, and extremely sensitive
accompaniment on the theorbo and cembalo.
This really is beautiful ensemble singing,
where the individual voices rise and
fall back into unison like swelling
waves.
Em Marshall