This live anthology is a clever way of offering a ‘sampler’ of La Venexiana’s survey of Monteverdi’s madrigals without resorting to the mere duplication of their existing catalogue. It gives an idea of the ensemble’s qualities as performers and of the ‘buzz’ that a live rendition of these pieces can generate.

The interpretations are not markedly different from their studio counterparts, and since excerpts are included of only those books that have already been issued complete, there are perhaps fewer surprises than one might have liked. An exception is the Lamento d’Arianna, published in Monteverdi’s lifetime in a collective anthology. Rossana Bertini’s rendition is unselfconsciously involving, though its conclusion might have been better paced (it appears to end rather abruptly). The other soloistic pieces (such as ‘Bel pastor’ or ‘Gira il nemico’) do not quite have the same impact, largely because some of the stage effects get lost in translation. In ‘Bel pastor’, the shepherd’s protestations of love (in response to his lover’s repeated demands) seem increasingly forced and tetchy. The comic effect must have been considerable but on the recording it doesn’t really‘click’. (I have seen Concerto Italiano take the same subversive approach very successfully in concert.)

The best performances are of the earlier books, particularly Book 2, where La Venexiana’s qualities of ensemble are allowed to come to the fore. By Latin standards the audience’s response is polite but it stops short of rapture: a verdict with which I’m inclined to agree.