Here's another fantastic recording from I Fagiolini - this time it's one of my favorite madrigals by John Wilbye! No fa la la's, no nymphs and shepherds, and no romping through the forests - this one is all about the pains of love.
Catarina Martinelli
Monteverdi's Lamento d'Arianna and his magnificent Sestina are linked by one soprano - Catarina Martinelli. Never heard of her? Learn about her in Early Music Sources' video and then go listen to the Sestina!
Tomkins: Too much I once lamented
The English madrigal text "Fa la la" isn't always joyful and happy... in this poignant one from Thomas Tomkins it's downright cynical!
Audite nova
Missed the concert last weekend? One of my favorite pieces was this hilarious one by Lassus about feasting on a very fat goose (Gans).
Audite nova - Lassus (Spotify)
Hear ye, hear ye!
That farmer from Eselkirchen?
He has a plump goose, a [goose noises] goose!
It has a long, plump, fat, willowy neck:
Bring the goose here!
You’ve got it? - my trusty Hans!
Shear it, pluck it, scald it, roast it, tear it, and devour it!
That is St. Martin’s bird, to whom we can’t be an enemy!
Servant Heinz, bring us some good wine and pour for us bravely;
let it all go around, and in God’s name let us drink good wine and beer
to the boiled, roasted, young goose
that it may do us no ill.
Asciugate
My take on Gesualdo? He wrote in the same style as other composers of his day. The combo of privilege and scandal are part of why we know his work, but the other part is that it's just really cool. Here's my favorite of his madrigals! This was the first one I learned and the one that prompted Tramontana’s first program of Monteverdi, Marenzio, and Gesualdo!
Who's afraid of Carlo Gesualdo?
So let's talk about Gesualdo. Standing at the crossroads of privilege, scandal, and chromaticism, is he worth the hype? Was he really that much of an oddity? Early Music Sources has some answers!
Vincenzo Galilei and word painting
Frightening children, a lame ox, unintelligible words - clearly the sky was falling! At least, that was what Vincenzo Galilei thought about polyphonic word painting... More in this fantastic video from Early Music Sources!
Contrappunto bestiale alla mente
We've listened to madrigals with bird calls, but Banchieri's “Contrappunto bestiale alla mente” includes a cuckoo, an owl, a cat, and a dog!
Divini occhi sereni
What is it really like to read from part books? Take a peek here!
Salomone Rossi and his Innovations
Composer Salomone Rossi is an important Jewish composer of the late Renaissance/early Baroque periods. But did you also know that he worked with Monteverdi, bridged the gap between the "old" and "new" styles, and wrote madrigals? Early Music Sources has all the details!