Every year a number of discs of Italian music from the early decades of
the 17th century are released. That is understandable because this was a
most exciting time which saw the birth of opera and the emergence of
virtuosity in vocal and instrumental music. Add to that the introduction of
new forms such as vocal monody and the instrumental sonata as well as
experiments in the realm of harmony. One can understand that repertoire from
this period has a strong appeal to performers and audiences alike.
Considering how much music dates from that time it is a little disappointing
that so often the same pieces are chosen for recordings and concerts.
The present disc also includes some well-known items, especially
Caccini's
Amarilli mia bella and Luigi Rossi's
Passacaille. However, that is more than compensated for by the
selection of lesser-known compositions, such as those by Gastoldi and De
Macque.
What exactly was the thought behind the programme is impossible to say as
this disc's booklet only includes the lyrics. One aspect is
particularly notable: the playing of a consort of viols. Such an ensemble is
mostly associated with the English renaissance, and one gets the impression
that in the 17th century the viol consort had become extinct almost
everywhere else. That is not the case. At the imperial court in Vienna this
type of ensemble was still greatly appreciated as late as around 1700. In
Italy, music for viol consort was written during the first part of the 17th
century. Let us not forget that Claudio Monteverdi's first important
job was that of a gambist at the court in Mantua. It has been suggested that
the polyphonic version of his famous
Lamento d'Arianna was
intended for performance with a solo voice and a consort of viols. This disc
includes two items which specifically indicate a performance with viols:
Caccini's
Torna, deh torna has the addition of the
concerto di viole del Filippo, and
Sopra la Rosa by
Marazzoli
voce sola con le viole.
The disc begins with a piece by Luzzasco Luzzaschi, who was one of the
last representatives of the
stile antico. He was an important
composer of madrigals which are all scored for vocal ensemble. However, at
the court in Ferrara where he worked all his life, he often performed his
madrigals with the
Concerto delle Dame, three virtuosic lady
singers who were the talk of the time. To that end he arranged madrigals for
one to three voices and basso continuo; some of them were published in 1601.
His
Aura soave is performed this way here, and I assume that it is
taken from this collection. Céline Scheen probably also uses the ornaments
which are included in that same source.
Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi is also a representative of the old style. He
was most famous for his light-hearted vocal music, especially his
balletti. Two of them are included here, sung by Céline Scheen with
the viol consort. In Germany the melody of
L'innamorato was
adapted to the text of the hymn
In dir ist Freude. Even older and
even lesser-known is Ippolito Tartaglino who, according to
New
Grove, composed only vocal music. However, there is mention of two
canzonas of a certain Ippolito and this is thought to refer to the same
Tartaglino. One of these could be the
Canzon sopra Susanna played
here.
Caccini's
Amarilli mia bella is an evergreen, but if one
listens to the performance by Céline Scheen and Giovanna Pessi one hardly
recognizes it. Ms Scheen adds quite a lot of ornaments and I would like to
know whether these are the product of her own invention or are taken from a
source from Caccini's time. This kind of interpretation is perfectly
legitimate as such, although I tend to think that this amount of
ornamentation is a bit too much of a good thing.
Giovanni de Macque is a particularly interesting composer. He was from
Naples and was for some time employed by the Gesualdo household. Through his
keyboard music he influenced Frescobaldi. Listening to the quirky harmonic
progressions in his
Prima Stravaganza one is immediately reminded
of Gesualdo's madrigals. Marco Marazzoli and Barbara Strozzi
don't experiment with harmony that way, but are very aware of the
importance of the text and of expressing its
affetti, one of the
main aspects of the aethetics of the
stile nuovo. Strozzi's
cantata ist the most 'modern' piece in the programme: with its
division in arias and recitativic episodes it points to the future where the
sequence of recitatives and arias would become the standard in vocal
music.
The harp was an important instrument in the 17th century in Italy. It was
mainly used as a basso continuo instrument in opera. Music for harp solo was
composed and printed, but harpists mainly played music for keyboard or
theorbo. Some composers specifically indicated that their music could be
played on either instrument, for instance Ascanio Mayone and Giovanni Maria
Trabaci, both pupils of De Macque. Kapsberger was the most brilliant theorbo
player of his time and moved in the highest circles in Rome. Although he did
not indicate that his theorbo pieces could be played on the harp, there is
no objection to doing so as is the case here. The two Kapsberger pieces work
very well on the harp.
I have reviewed discs of the Flora label before, and musically all of them
were outstanding. That goes for this disc as well. Céline Scheen has the
perfect voice for this repertoire, and also the right temperament. She uses
her impressive vocal technique in the service of the expression of the
music's emotional content. The playing of the instruments is of the
same standard. The quality of the performances should go along with the
quality of the production, but the lack of documentation in the booklet is
very regrettable. The lyrics are included, but without translations. The
booklet includes a reference to the label's website where
translations should be available. I have visited it but have found no
translations.
Let this not put you off. This is a most exciting disc and a model of
sensitive music making.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
