Gesualdo: Responsoria

La Compagnia del Madrigale

GCD 922803

'The private life of the Italian Renaissance s most avant-garde composer has tended to overshadow his music. The murder of his first wife, Maria d Avalos, and her lover in 1590 has defined our view of Gesualdo: his later life was spent in depressive seclusion, perhaps wracked by guilt. Two years before his death in 1613, he published his Tenebrae Offices for Holy Week a set each for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday comprising three sets of three 'nocturns' proclaiming his authorship. (This is in stark contrast to his Books of Madrigals, which remained anonymous composition of secular works unthinkable for a nobleman of the period, despite strong hints to their authorship in his dedications.) This intense, boldly chromatic music of lamentation is rarely heard Eastertide material, especially programmed as comprehensively as here by the six elite singers sopranos Rossana Bertini and Francesca Cassinari, alto Elena Carzaniga, tenors Giuseppe Maletto and Raffaele Giordani, bass Daniele Carnovich comprising La compagnia del Madrigale. This is devotional music of mesmerising beauty, the state-of-the-art performances interspersed with spiritual madrigals by Luzzaschi, Marenzio and Vinci.' • Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times 27 April 2014

Works:

• Gesualdo: In te, Domine, speravi
• Gesualdo: Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia
• Gesualdo: Sparge la morte al mio signor nel viso
• Luzzaschi: Quivi sospiri

CD x 3

Glossa

24/02/2014

8424562228030

BBC Music Magazine: 'Choral & Song Choice' (2014)
ICMA 'Nominee' (2015)
MusicWeb International: 'Nominee for Recording of the Year' (2015)
MusicWeb International: 'Recording of the Month' (2015)