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A Second Hearing of Delitiae Musicae

Giordano Bruno | Wherever I am, I am. | 09/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recently I posted a slightly negative review of Delitiae Musicae's performance of Book Three of the madrigals of Claudio Monteverdi, in which I expressed skepticism about the use of male falsetto countertenors in a repertoire that was composed at a time when virtuosic singing by women was highly valued. Those reservations do not apply to this performance of the madrigals from Book 1, written when Monteverdi was only 19 years old and still thoroughly imbued with the tenor-structured polyphonic style of the late Renaissance, when madrigals were just beginning to be distinguished from the older sacred polyphony of the Franco-Flemish school. The seamless blend of male voices achieved with countertenors by Musicae Delitiae perfectly suits these pre-operatic madrigals, with more of idealized serenity than of amorous frenzy about them. Scott Morrison's earlier review is exactly right; this is a performance of silky-suave beauty, as good as any I've heard from such magnificent ensembles as Concerto Italiano and La Venexiana. Now I'll have to listen to MD's performance of Book 2, to hear whether the magic persists.



Nota bene, anglophones: Italian singers have staked claim to the madrigal repertory, and "we" have a lot of homework to do to catch up."