Caccini; Monteverdi Madrigals
Some technical wobbles but overall a pleasantly sung clutch of madrigals
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Claudio Monteverdi, Giulio Caccini, Giovanni Girolamo (aka Johann Hieronymous) Kapsberger, Peter Philips, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Bellerofonte Castaldi
Genre:
Vocal
Label: Céleste Series
Magazine Review Date: 4/2009
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 69
Mastering:
Stereo
DDD
Catalogue Number: SOMMCD083
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Madrigals, Book 5 (Il quinto libro de madrigali), Movement: E così, a poco a poco (wds. Guarini) |
Claudio Monteverdi, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica Claudio Monteverdi, Composer David Bates, Conductor |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Movetevi a pieta |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Queste l'agrim'amare |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Dolcissimo sospiro (wds. Rinuccini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| Tasteggio soave |
Bellerofonte Castaldi, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica Bellerofonte Castaldi, Composer David Bates, Conductor |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Amor, io parto |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| Madrigals, Book 4 (Il quarto libro de madrigali), Movement: Sfogava con le stelle (wds. Rinuccini) |
Claudio Monteverdi, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica Claudio Monteverdi, Composer David Bates, Conductor |
| Madrigals, Book 4 (Il quarto libro de madrigali), Movement: Non più guerra, pietate (wds. Guarini) |
Claudio Monteverdi, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica Claudio Monteverdi, Composer David Bates, Conductor |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Non più guerra, pietate (wds. G. B. Guarini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| Libro I d'intavolatura di chitarrone, Movement: Toccata prima arpeggiata |
Giovanni Girolamo (aka Johann Hieronymous) Kapsberger, Composer
Giovanni Girolamo (aka Johann Hieronymous) Kapsberger, Composer Richard Sweeney, Chitarrone |
| Madrigals, Book 3 (Il terzo libro de madrigali), Movement: Perfidissimo volto (wds. Guarini) |
Claudio Monteverdi, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica Claudio Monteverdi, Composer David Bates, Conductor |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Perfidissimo volto (wds. G. B. Guarini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| (Il) Secondo libro di Toccate, Canzone, Versi d'hi, Movement: Toccate: |
Girolamo Frescobaldi, Composer
Girolamo Frescobaldi, Composer Joseph McHardy, Harpsichord |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Vedro 'l mio sol (wds. G. B. or A. Guarini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Amarilli mia bella (wds. G. B. or A. Guarini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| Madrigals, Book 5 (Il quinto libro de madrigali), Movement: Cruda Amarilli (wds. Guarini) |
Claudio Monteverdi, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica Claudio Monteverdi, Composer David Bates, Conductor |
| Amirilli di Julio Romano |
Peter Philips, Composer
Joseph McHardy, Harpsichord Peter Philips, Composer |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Sfogova con le stelle (wds. Rinuccini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Fortunato augellino (wds. Rinuccini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| Madrigals, Book 4 (Il quarto libro de madrigali), Movement: Quel augellin che canta |
Claudio Monteverdi, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica Claudio Monteverdi, Composer David Bates, Conductor |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Dovro dunque morire |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Filli, mirando il cielo (wds. ?Rinuccini) |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
| (Le) nuove musiche, Movement: Ineffabile ardore |
Giulio Caccini, Composer
(La) Nuova Musica David Bates, Conductor Giulio Caccini, Composer |
Author: Richard Lawrence
Caccini is best known for his shenanigans in connection with Peri’s opera Euridice and for rushing into print with his own setting of the same libretto (Ricercar, 3/09); but Le nuove musiche and its successor published in 1614 are really more important. Caccini’s intention was to move the listener through quasi-improvisatory declamation, and indeed he claimed to be the inventor of recitative. He made a point of writing out many of the embellishments formerly (and subsequently) improvised.
The madrigals are divided among the six singers of La Nuova Musica, some of whom – how to put it? – make better soloists than others. The decorations do not always sound as natural as Caccini intended: in particular, one or two rapidly ascending scales are rather a trial to the ear. In general, though, the singing is pleasant. There are a few instrumental pieces, by Kapsberger, Frescobaldi and others, which give the accompanists Richard Sweeney and Joseph McHardy a well deserved prominence on, respectively, chitarrone and harpsichord. The Caccini madrigals are complemented by, so to speak, real madrigals by Monteverdi, some of them to the same poems. The emotional temperature is raised considerably: this does no favours to Caccini, but confirms the impression that La Nuova Musica sounds better as an ensemble. Unfortunately, the booklet is a mess: missing texts, authors not given, and an unreliable matching of singers to tracks.
Caccini; Monteverdi Madrigals
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