Orlando Furioso - Madrigals on poems by Ludovico Ariosto
Hoste da REGGIO (c.1520-1569) Le donne, I cavalier [2.11];
Gli sdegni, le repulse e finalmente [1.50]
Orlando LASSUS (1532-1594) Pensier dicea che ‘l cor magghiacci
et ardi [2.37]; Di qua di la va le noiose piume [2.10]; Deh
perché Chi salira per me, Madonna, incielo [2.31]; Voglia anco
di me dolermi/Dunque fi aver (dicea) che mi convenga [4.18]
William BYRD (1543-1623) La Verginella è simile alla rosa
[6.18];
Giaces de WERT (1535-1596) Vaghi boschetti di soave allori
[2.23]; Non tanto il bel palazzo [2.34]; Queste non son più lagrime
che fuore [4.10]; Chi salirá per me, madonna, incielo [2.31]
Benedetto PALLAVICINO (c.1551-1601) Tra le purpuree rose
e I bianchi gigli [2.16]
Cipriano de RORE (1515-1565) Era il bel viso suo/E ne la
face de’ogli occhi accende [4.46]; Come la note ogni fiammella éviva
[3.12]
Vincenzo RUFFO (1510-1587) Liete piant, verdi erbe, limpide
acque [3.15]
Philippe VERDELOT (c.1480-1535) Queste non son più
lagrime che fuore [4.02] Bartolomeo TROMBONCINO (c.1470-1535)
Queste non son più lagrime cher fuore [2.16]
Alfonso FERRABOSCO (1543-1588) Questi ch’indizio fan mio
tormento [3.30] Alessandro STRIGGIO (1536/7-1592) Non
rumor di tamburi [2.20]; Or se mi mostra la mia cart ail vero
[3.21]
Giovanni da PALESTRINA (1525-1594) Se ben non veggon
gli occhi ciò che vede [3.34];
Andrea GABRIELI (1532/3-1585) Dunque baciar si bella e
dolce labia/Se tu m’occidi, ban region che deggi [3.50];
La Compagnia de Madrigale
rec. 19-23 October 2009, 2 September 2010, Chiesa della Maria del Monte, Carmelo
al Colleto, Roletto-Pinerolo (Torino)
ARCANA A 363 [69.49] 
Next to Petrarch, Ariosto’s extraordinary Orlando Furioso became one
of the most published, read and discussed books of sixteenth century Italy.
The author compiled his poems between 1512 and 1516. Rather like the works
of Cervantes almost a century later the poems tell the story of a sort of
knight-errant of medieval literature. He is here put not in a comic context
but in the an epic war “between Muslims and Christians’. There’s a love story
as well with the beautiful Angelica running away from her suitors including
Orlando. He discovers that she has had an affair within a cave with a pagan
Medoro. On the point of insanity he is aided by a seemingly unlikely moon
flight by Astolfo. There is more to it but you get the gist I trust. For some
reason the work was taken up at all levels of society and by 1532 had reached
a third edition. The author died the following year but this edition was submitted
to another 155 reprints and was further adapted. One of the reasons for its
popularity was that composers of the period had set stanzas from it in the
ever burgeoning and popular madrigal market.
In Ferrara at the Estense court and also with the Gonzaga family in Mantua
the work and its associated music was especially admired. It was there that
Bartolomeo Tromboncino, the composer of the only frottola setting on this
CD was to be found. He also appears in Ferrara a little later with the Borgias
and in Rome. Other composers worked there including Rore and de Wert who are
represented here. Ariosto’s poem and those by others based upon it also spread
to Milan where we find Vincenzo Ruffo and Lassus. The latter may have taken
the idea of setting Ariosto when in Rome working at S.Giovanni in Laterano
a massively important position. Antonio Barré lived there. He it was who included
in his ‘Libre della Muse’ three volumes of madrigal settings of the poem.
Florence is also represented by the sublime Philippe Verdelot and Venice by
Andrea Gabrieli who, on the rare occasions I hear one of his examples, I feel
should be better known as a madrigalist. These men represent a variety of
styles some densely contrapuntal, like Rore some more homophonic like the
almost declamatory Hoste de Reggio and Palestrina. Some like those by Pallavicino
are later and in a lighter style similar to the villanesca.
So the background to this disc is significant and, I have only just scratched
its surface. You would need to read the lengthy but fascinating accompanying
essay by Cecilia Luzzi to gain a broader view. There is also an essay by three
of the singers entitled ‘A daring feat’ in which they remind us that the Byrd
madrigal has “been presented for the first time in Italian”. They also tell
us that no fewer than 700 compositions have survived based around the Orlando
story, “nearly all are unknown”. It was an excellent idea to record one especially
beautiful poem ‘Queste non son piu lagrime’ in three versions. A stylistic
comparison like this is always of great interest. It seems that the group
may now embark on “the long road of exploration of this marvellous repertoire”
so presumably there will be more CDs.
The twenty-two pieces chosen here tell the story fairly much in order through
the music of sixteen composers active between 1541 and 1588. These are the
dates of their publications from Philip Verdelot’s posthumous collection up
to, intriguingly not only William Byrd but also Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder.
Many of these settings are tear-jerkingly beautiful especially those by Rore
and Wert. The singers match the mood splendidly with passion, wonderful balance
and clear, true Italian diction. All the texts are given in the original and
in English with each madrigal also given a contextual resumé above the text.
There are also attractive photographs of the artists.
I have much enjoyed this CD, its concept, its beautiful presentation and colour
pictures all in a cardboard casing. The singing is wonderful. All I can do
is to point you in its direction and urge you to enjoy it. There will be a
tear in the eye at the ravishing exquisiteness of many of these madrigals.
Gary Higginson
Wonderful. There will be a tear in the eye at the ravishing exquisiteness
of it all.