Naxos
2007
Claudio Monteverdi: Madrigals Book 6
About This Album
The vocal and instrumental early music ensemble Delitiae Musicae continues its project of recording all of Monteverdi's madrigals for Naxos with his Sixth Book, published in 1614. The Sixth was his first book of madrigals published after his epochal operas La Favola d'Orfeo and L'Arianna, and Vespro della Beata Vergine. The madrigals, for five voices, look backward to the stile antico of his work before the operas, and are in a sense his swan song for that phase of his compositional life. The Sixth Book is unified by a theme of loss and sadness and the necessity of letting go of the past. The first four madrigals are a polyphonic reworking of Lamento d'Arianna, taken from the opera, the rest of whose score is lost. The lament was reportedly the most popular piece of music of its time; a contemporary of Monteverdi's reported, "there was no home that possessed either harpsichords or lutes, that did not also possess a copy of that lament." Another six madrigals are grouped together under the heading "Sestina: Lacrime d'amante al sepolcro dell'amata," a memorial to the composer's wife, who had died in 1607. The performance by Delitiae Musicae, led by Marco Longhini, is notable for its intense expressivity and its extremely slow tempos.
Track List

Disc 1

Lamento D'Arianna, Madrigal In 4 Sections For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 107
1.
2.
3.
4.
Zefiro Torna E'l Bel Tempo Rimena, Madrigal For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 108
5.
Una Donna Fra L'altre Honesta E Bella Vidi, Madrigal For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 109
6.
A Dio, Florida Bella, Madrigal For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 110
7.
Lagrime D'amante Al Sepolcro Dell'amata, Madrigal In 6 Sections For 5 Voices And Instruments (from Book 6), SV 111
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Ohimè Il Bel Viso, Madrigal For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 112
14.
Qui Rise, O Tirsi, Madrigal For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 113
15.

Disc 2

Misero Alceo, Madrigal For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 114
1.
Batto, Qui Pianse Ergasto, Madrigal For 5 Voices (from Book 6), SV 115
2.
Presso Un Fiume Tranquillo, Dialogue For 7 Voices & Instruments (from Book 6), SV 116
3.
Io Ardo, Sì Ma'l Fuoco Di Tal Sorte, Madrigal For 2 Sopranos & Bass, SV 309
4.
Occhi Miei, Se Mirar, Più Non Debb'io, Madrigal For 2 Sopranos & Bass, SV 314
5.
Quante Son Stelle In Ciel, Madrigal For 2 Sopranos & Bass, SV 324
6.
Se Non Mi Date Aita, Madrigal For 2 Sopranos & Bass, SV 331
7.
Prima Vedrò Ch'in Questi Prati, Madrigal For 2 Sopranos & Bass, SV 322
8.
O Come Vaghi, O Come Cari, Madrigal For 2 Tenors, SV 315
9.
Taci, Armelin, Deh Taci, Madrigal For Alto, Tenor & Bass, SV 334
10.
La Mia Turca Che D'amor, Madrigal For Solo Voice, SV 310
11.
Ohimè Ch'io Cado, Ohimè Ch'inciampo, Madrigal, Sv 316
12.
Si Dolce È'l Tormento, Madrigal For Solo Voice, SV 332
13.
Perchè, Se M'odiavi, Aria For Soprano, SV 320
14.
Più Lieto Il Guardo, Aria For Soprano, SV 321
15.
Lamento D'Arianna, For Voice & Continuo ("Lasciatemi Morire"), SV 22
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.