Sigismondo d'India and Claudio Monteverdi: Mannerist Madrigals

On this CD:

1. Interdette Speranz' E Van Desio
Composed by Sigismondo d'India
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

2. Zefiro torna e'l bel tempo rimena, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 108 Zefiro Torna E'l Bel Temporimena
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

3. Batto, qui pianse Ergasto, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 115 Batto Qui Pianse Ergasto
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

4. Ogni amante è guerrier, madrigal in 4 sections for 1-3 voices (from Book 8), SV 151 Ogni Amante ê Guerrier
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

5. Hor ch'el ciel e la terra e'l vento tace, madrigal for 6 voices and 2 violins (from Book 8), SV 147 Hor Ch'El Ciel e la Terra
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

6. Se Tu, Silvio Crudel, Mi Saettasti
Composed by Sigismondo d'India
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

7. O come sei gentile, caro augellino, madrigal for 2 sopranos (from Book 7), SV 120 O Come Sei Gentile, Caro Augellino
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

8. Hor ch'el ciel e la terra e'l vento tace, madrigal for 6 voices and 2 violins (from Book 8), SV 147 Gira Il Nemico Insidioso
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Chiaroscuro with London Baroque

Tracks:

Interdette Speranz'e Van Desio
Zefiro Torna
'Batto', Qui Pianse Ergasto
Ogni Amante E Guerrier
Hor Che'l Ciel E La Terra
Se Tu, Silvio Crudel, Mi Saettasti
Ma Se Con La Pieta
Dorinda, Ah! Diro Mia
Ferir Quel Petto, Silvio?
Silvio, Come Son Lassa
O Come Sei Gentile
Gira Il Nemico Insidioso Amore

Customer Reviews:

Stylistically on the mark.......2004-12-24

When Claudio Monteverdi’s madrigals are spoken of, the early music fan automatically thinks of Anthony Rooley and his famous ensemble The Consort of Musicke, who in the course of the early music revival recorded all of Monteverdi’s Madrigal Books for Decca and Virgin. But there are other ensembles who have given us a taste of what the “seconda prattica” should sound like, if only for a selection of madrigals. One of those is Nigel Rogers’s Chiaroscuro, accompanied here by the instrumentalists of London Baroque on a 1981 analogue recording made at London’s Abbey Road studios and including not only six of Monteverdi’s most popular (and perhaps most typical) pieces from Books 6 through 8 of his madrigal collections but also a single madrigal and a cycle by Monteverdi’s younger Sicilian contemporary Sigismondo d’India, whose work is even today fairly rare.

The instrumentalists on this recording are well-known for their work on early music, but only Jakob Lindberg, lute, and John Toll, harpsichord, really get a chance to shine as the two violins are only used for one piece and Charles Medlam on the viola da gamba just plays the bass line together with the harpsichord. It is the vocal lines that take centre-stage: Nigel Rogers and John Potter (the latter of Hilliard Ensemble and Red Byrd fame) as two excellent, stylistically on-the-mark tenors, David Thomas as a sturdy bass (he has also recorded Monteverdi with Anthony Rooley) and Patrizia Kwella and Wendy Burger as two superb sopranos. The objections raised to the singing by a fellow Amazonite must be the result of not understanding the way this music works, personally I found this to be a well-nigh perfect Monteverdi recording with some wonderful duets and terzetts, the voices warbling and trembling to indicate the emotions involved: that is why the disc is titled, “Manneristic madrigals”. Rogers and his team make sure you hear the boldness and the expressiveness of both composers very clearly.

As the recording quality is excellent (although there is just a little tape noise), I can only recommend this to listeners who want a taste of early 17th century Italian madrigal in its most progressive form.

D'India by Chiaroscuro.......2001-03-21

The 5 movement cycle "Se tu, Silvio crudel" from d'India's 8th book is brilliantly and dramatically performed by a really super ensemble. A vocal score can be obtained via e-mail to orders@olschki.it

yuck.......2000-11-20

The only tolerable pieces involve Nigel Rogers singing solo (unfortunately he only sings solo on a couple of them). The rest of the pieces are best skipped. Your ears will beg for mercy after hearing the slow rigid pacing, the unattractive, unblending, wobbly voices, and uninspired singing. Try actually listening to Emma Kirkby and Evelyn Tubb's Monteverdi recording; Kirby and Tubb are singing at a class or two above the singing here.

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