Search - Gesualdo, Concerto Italiano, Alessandrini :: Gesualdo: O Dolorosa Gioia (Madrigals from the 5th and 6th books, with additional Magrigals by De Monte, Nenna, Montella, and Luzzaschi)

If Madrigal Singing Were an Olympic Sport...

Giordano Bruno | Wherever I am, I am. | 09/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...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

R. J. Moyer | Titusville, NJ USA | 10/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."