BaL 20.03.21 - Monteverdi: Madrigals

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library
Kirsten Gibson chooses her favourite recordings of Monteverdi's madrigals.

Monteverdi was one of the most significant composers in late Renaissance and early Baroque Italy. His madrigals span the whole of his creative career from the early works written in his native Cremona, through his time serving the Gonzagas in Mantua, with a final flourishing when he was maestro di capella at St Marks in Venice. They are a treasure trove of highly crafted and expressive works in many different styles. His madrigals represent a high point in his creative output which have received a lot more attention from performers over recent years with many younger groups tackling these challenging pieces in new and exciting ways.

Recommended Recording:

Third book of Madrigals
Concerto Italiano
Rinaldo Alessandrini (director)
Naive OP30580

https://naive.ffm.to/terzolibrodemadrigali

Other Recommended Recordings:

Best survey:

Les Arts Florissants
Paul Agnew (director)
Harmonia Mundi HAF8905278

https://store.harmoniamundi.com/release/189829-les-arts-florissants-and-paul-agnew-monteverdi-madrigali-vol-3-venezia

Best complete sets:

Delitiae Musicae
Marco Longhini (director)
Naxos 8501505 (15 CDs)

La Venexiana
Claudio Cavina (director)
Glossa GCD920929 (12 CDs)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

OK, this is is another of those vague BaLs, with a more general range of works, rather than a specific composition. It's difficult to compile a meaningful list, so this week, I shall cop out and draw your attention to the Presto website.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/search?search_query=monteverdi%20madrigals

[MickyD]

I suspect the Venexiana complete set will feature highly.

[Joseph K]

I suspect the Venexiana complete set will feature highly.

That's the one I have.

[ardcarp]

this is is another of those vague BaLs, with a more general range of works,

Well, yes, but not as bad as the entire output f Josquin! We are dealing with one genre here, and there is a historically important development, or should I say evolution, throughout Monteverdi's books. This will surely be a main topic in this BAL?

[BBMmk2]

I’ll be interested in this, as my Monteverdi knowledge and recordings is rather sparse.

[ardcarp]

Let's hope the guest will be given the space to inform us all.

[Pulcinella]

Let's hope the guest will be given the space to inform us all.

Well, it looks like Andrew has a week off:

Building a Library on Monteverdi's madrigals with Kirsten Gibson and Hannah French

Record Review with Hannah French

9.30 Building a Library
Kirsten Gibson chooses her favourite recordings of Monteverdi's madrigals.

[gurnemanz]

I suspect the Venexiana complete set will feature highly.

I also acquired La Venexiana complete a few years ago but a bit later noticed that the earlier Consort of Musicke, Anthony Rooley set with Emma Kirkby et al, was being reissued at a very reasonable price and couldn't resist at £10 for the 7CD Virgin set. Only slightly more now. Nothing wrong with having two good sets.

When BaL last did them in Oct 2000, David Fanning's first choice, presumably in those days uninterrupted by an interlocutor, was a bargain Rooley twofer. Venexiana had not yet appeared and his runner-up was the Second, Fourth & Eighth Books from Rinaldo Alessandrini and Concerto Italiano.

[Richard Barrett]

I suspect the Venexiana complete set will feature highly.

And Concerto Italiano too. Of course there were numerous beautiful recordings of these pieces in the past, like those of the Consort of Musicke, but IMO there's no substitute for having an all-Italian vocal lineup, given that this kind of music is so intimately tied up with language both as sound and as meaning.

But Monteverdi published around 200 madrigals which trace the course of one of the most significant periods of stylistic evolution in western music history. Good luck with boiling all of that down into a single radio programme!

[Darloboy]

I suspect the Venexiana complete set will feature highly.

Tess Knighton’s 1st choice for Book 8 in May 09. Although I’ve just noticed that Tess Knighton has presented four Monteverdi BaLs & has chosen Cavina on each occasion. I think she may be a fan. Sad to hear of his death last year. His stroke in 2016 was a terrible loss to music.

In addition to the madrigals programme in 2000 mentioned by Gurnemanz, there was also a Bal solely on Il Combattimento in Feb 98 - Bruce Wood chose Philip Pickett.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I started in the 70s with a couple of Leppard LPs of the warlike and amorous late books. Have added a good few selection discs randomly over the years, all packed in moving boxes now so can't be more specific.
Could conceivably be in the market for some gap-filling but may well miss the programme as I'll be shifting furniture, unpacking slightly more essential boxes (in Mrs LMP's estimation anyway) in the wilds of N Salop. DV anyway...

[Keraulophone]

Les Arts Florissants / Paul Agnew hasn’t yet been mentioned. They’ve performed the whole lot in London to general acclaim in addition to their complete recording for Harmonia Mundi. I’ve enjoyed the few volumes I have. Their voices are well contrasted and lighter than some Italian groups.

Paul Agnew talks about the project here: https://youtu.be/330vkLDBGoE

https://www.arts-florissants.org/main/en_GB/the-complete-cycle-of-monteverdi%27s-madrigals-with-paul-agnew.html

[Ein Heldenleben]

Not many comments on this but I think it’s an exemplary BAL . Keraulophone’s post is prophetic as Les Arts Florissants are the best highlights performances. Can’t spell / didn’t catch her chosen overall complete version something like Xxxx Musicae . And the overall selection winner is Concerto Italiano (Book 3)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I agree. A good BaL. And at least we now know that twoferism isn't just AMcG wanting to dominate proceedings. It's clearly a management policy (for better or worse, or even more worse).