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Gesualdo: O Dolorosa Gioia (Madrigals from the 5th and 6th books, with additional Magrigals by De Monte, Nenna, Montella, and Luzzaschi)
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6 new or used available from $26.68
Average customer review:
Track Listing
- Di Mie Dogliose Note
- Occhi Miei Che Vedeste
- Se Lontana Voi Sete
- Moro, Lasso, Al Mio Duolo
- Se La Mia Morte Brami
- Belta Poiche T'assenti
- Canzone Del Principe
- Gioite Voi Col Canto
- S'io Non Miro Non Moro
- Se Vi Duol Il Mio Duolo
- Asciugate I Begli Occhi
- Merce Grido Piangendo
- Languisce Al Fin
- Tu M'uccidi, O Crudele
- Ahi, Cruda Sorte Mia
- Lungi Da Te Cor Mio
- Itene Mie Querele
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #282487 in Music
- Released on: 2000-11-14
- Number of discs: 1
- Format: Import
Customer Reviews
If Madrigal Singing Were an Olympic Sport...
...Concerto Italiano would have set a world record for perfection with this recording of works by Carlo Gesualdo and his contemporaries. These highly chromatic polyphonic beauties require a kind of decathlon preparation.
1st event: pure tone production, a clear "white" voice, meaning no scoops and no vibrato
2nd: vocal blend and tight ensemble
3rd: precise and well articulated diction
4th: rhythmic independence in order to sing polyphonically
5th: expressive control of dynamics, both high and low
6th: affective interpretation; pulling out the emotional stops
7th: tasteful restraint when restraint is needed
8th: historical/literary insight into the text
9th: vocal agility and bravura to just "toss off" ornamentations
10th and most important: perfect intonation, and I mean PERFECT; unless you can sight-sing chromatic and atonal music, you have no business singing Gesualdo except in your living room. If you need to "learn" a part, don't bother.
Incredibly, Concerto Italiano wins all ten events on this CD, with points to spare on the first and last, that is, on sheer vocal loveliness and on flawless intonation.
Gesualdo's Sixth Book of Madrigals has the usual poetic sources - texts by Tasso and Guarini, chiefly plangent love poems. But these love-obsessed late madrigals have more of suffering than lust in them, ceratinly in their musical expression. If you're looking for jolly Elizabeth, gather-ye-rosebuds love songs, try Morley and stay away from the Prince of Venosa, Carlo Gesualdo. The existential sophistication of this music far exceeds its poetic sources, to my ears anyway, and has never been matched.
Yes, I have noticed that the CD is unavailable at humane prices. I've never urged people to buy the MP3 download of a recording before, but this will be the exception. You won't get the texts, of course, and that is a shame. Still, if you're diligent and care enough, you'll find those texts with other CDs as set by other composers, and if that fails, you'll be able to compose your own poetry while you listen to these so-explicit emotional outbursts in music.
Pure music
If you like madrigals, this is a formidable addition to your library, in the unlikely event you don't already have it. If you don't know madrigals, there couldn't be a better place to start.
