I am always quite
reassured to know that, much as composers are often misunderstood
in our times, Claudio Monteverdi was similarly criticised
in his day. To be sure, the church traditions from which Monteverdi
was deviating were a powerful mould to be breaking, but penetrating
popular taste while remaining true to avant-garde ideals will
surely be seen in a similar light four hundred years from
now – if we survive that long.
While canon Giovanni
Maria Artusi’s initial attacks were based on a defence of
traditional rules of music the time was clearly ripe for change.
The published madrigals sold well, and by 1643 the fifth book
had been reprinted no fewer than nine times. They were dedicated
to Vincenzo Gonzaga, who was Duke of Mantua. Monteverdi sought
patronage with the duke, who had already shown his appreciation
of the composers work and whose influence existed beyond that
of the less flexible church. Working in this sphere, Monteverdi
revelled in the freedoms of the ‘Second Practice’, that which
allowed the expressive qualities of poetry to be reflected
freely in the music to which it was set.
Whenever I have
heard extracts from this collection at concerts it has always
been with a mixed vocal ensemble. Marco Longhini has taken
research into performing practice and historical sources which
indicate that no female singers would have been included in
the ensemble in Monteverdi’s day. Women were not allowed to
perform sacred or spiritual works, so the assumption is that
the same would have applied to secular madrigals. An all-male
cast involves transposing the music down sometimes as far
as a fourth, so that those who already know the works may
have to make some adjustments in their expectations. I know
when I first played this disc as background to some summer
reading my first impressions were of a bunch of guys running
through the score to themselves in a quiet back room down
the pub. This is an unfair description of course, but without
the female voice illustrating female roles one has the challenge
of deciphering some of the drama without those added contrasts
in colour and range.
Delitić Musicć’s
performance is refined and restrained. Recorded more or less
‘on location,’ the acoustic is resonant without being too
‘churchy’. Not all of the voices are equally attractive, but
the general impression is of a well-integrated sound with
soloists emerging from the choral ranks. In general these
are fairly studiously academic interpretations, with genuinely
authentic Italian singing bringing much truth in beauty, but
not much to get the blood racing in the veins. This is partly
in the nature of the music of course, but I’m reluctant to
lay blame – if any – at Monteverdi’s door. There are a few
moments of vocal freedom – the sighing glissandi in Ma
tu, piů che mai dura being a case in point. You may not
notice it, but to me there is one mild case of temporal discomfort
between the beautifully sung a capella M’č piů dolce il
penar and the instrumental opening of Ah, come a un
vago sol, which only arises as they have been placed immediately
after each other, with no forgiving gap to allow the ear to
‘forget’. In Book 5 you can literally hear Monteverdi’s stylistic
turning point, and with the more virtuosic content of the
second part Delitić Musicć seem to have a little more intensity,
and certainly revel in the extravagant word painting and dynamic
contrasts. I’m still not sure I shall become completely accustomed
to countertenor Alessandro Carmignani’s vocal colour, but
can certainly admire his purity and phrasing – this is very
much a point for individual taste. All of the accompaniments
are sensitively played, and are well balanced and relatively
unobtrusive.
With the usual
bargain pricing this essentially beautiful recording - complete
with excellent notes by Longhini and all texts given in Italian
and translated into English - has to come with a safe recommendation.
The operative word for me here is however ‘safe’. It’s a tough
call, as these are without doubt scholarly readings and ones
with which one could happily live for a long time. The other
issues in this series have been praised highly, and those
who are collecting the set certainly need have no qualms when
adding this disc to their shelves. I may be wrong to be so
picky or I might just have eaten too much pizza for dinner,
but I felt this recording just lacked the one spark, that
deep-seated molten core of ever elusive Monteverdi passion
which makes the spine tingle and the hairs on the nape of
the neck re-align to magnetic north.
Dominy Clements
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