Salomone Rossi: The Two Souls of Solomon

Salomone Rossi: The Two Souls of Solomon
Ensemble Daedalus - Roberto Festa
Accent 96119 [CD]
Glossa "Cabinet" 80006 [CD]

Contents:

  1. Sinfonia a 5 (violin, 4 viols, harp, lute)
  2. Ornasti il veggio - prima parte (5 voices, harp, lute)
  3. Già del volto - seconda parte (5 voices, 4 viols, recorder, chitarrone)
  4. Keter (4 voices)
  5. Gagliarda a 5, detta la Massara (violin, 4 viols, recorder, harp, lute)
  6. Rimanti in pace! - prima parte (5 voices, violin, 4 viols, chitarrone)
  7. Ond'ei di morte - seconda parte (5 voices, violin, 4 viols, chitarrone)
  8. Sinfonia grave a 5 (violin, 4 viols, harp, lute)
  9. Tu parti, ahi lasso! (voice, 4 viols, recorder, lute)
  10. Cor mio, deh non languire (5 voices, lute)
  11. Wilbye: Draw on, sweet Night (violin, 5 viols)
  12. Bar'chu (3 voices)
  13. Odekha ki'anitani (violin, 5 viols)
  14. Yitgadal (5 voices)
  15. Cazzati: Alemana detta la Ghisilardi (violin, 3 viols, harp, lute)
  16. Cazzati: Giga detta la Bargelina (violin, 4 viols, 2 recorders, harp, lute)

Performers: Katelijne van Laethem (soprano), Pascal Bertin (alto), Eitan Sorek (tenor), Josep Benet (tenor), Josep Cabré (baritone), Alessandro Ciccolini (violin), Markus Tapio (viol), Sophie Watillon (viol), Renée Stock (viol), Brigitte Gasser (viol), Piet Strjckers (viol), Roberto Festa (recorder), Margherita Degli Esposti (recorder), Hannelore Devaere (harp), Hugh Sandilands (lute, chitarrone)

Playing time: 56'

Recording date: October 1996 (Gent)

The present program shows all facets of the oeuvre of Salomone Rossi (c.1570-c.1630), from madrigals to instrumental works and pieces for the Jewish liturgy. There is an emphasis on Rossi's role in developing continuo practices, and his work certainly shows a concern for these issues. In addition, the Jewish liturgical music is particularly unique and worthy of note. The style is somewhat simpler and more syllabic, but certainly in line with Rossi's other music, especially some of the instrumental works. The present liner notes also suggest that Rossi's interest in music for the Jewish temple, with it's syllabic monophonic tradition influenced his ideas on the developing monody, and consequently those developments as a whole.

There was some controversy at the time about whether polyphonic settings (for between three & eight voices) were welcome in the Jewish temple. Nonetheless, they are fast becoming classics today, and show a glimpse into one of the rare periods in which Jewish & Christian culture interacted strongly and without ill feelings. Other recent recordings of these works:

Salamone Rossi: The Songs of Solomon
Sacred vocal works in Hebrew
Corvina Consort - Zoltán Kalmanovits
Hungaroton 32350
Rossi: The Songs of Solomon
Vol. I: Music for the Sabbath
New York Baroque - Eric Milnes
Dorian 93210
Rossi: The Songs of Solomon and instrumental music
Profeti della Quinta / Ensemble Muscadin
New Pan 10214
Rossi: The Songs of Solomon
Pro Cantione Antiqua - Sidney Fixman
Carlton Classics 6600452
Rossi: Canti di Salamone / Purcell / Campra
Ensemble Hypothesis
Tactus 571804
Rossi: Songs of Solomon
Symposium Musicum - Pavel Kuhn
Panton 811271 (2 CDs)

Programs devoted to Rossi's madrigals:

Rossi: Primo Libro di Madrigali a 4 voci
Ut Musica Poësis
Tactus 571803
Rossi: Madrigaletti, Op. 13
L'Aura Soave - Diego Cantalupi
Tactus 571802

And a similar mixed program:

Salamone Rossi Hebreo Mantovano
Early 17th century Italian music from Mantua
Siena Ensemble
Classical Recording CRC 1202

Recordings of related material:

Musique Judeo-baroque
Boston Camerata - Joel Cohen
Harmonia Mundi "musique d'abord" 1901021
Juden in Deutschland 1250 - 1750
Jalda Rebling et al.
Raum Klang 9401

And a series:

Synagogal Music in the Baroque
Cameran Singers - Avner Itai
Anthology of Musical Traditions in Israel CD 9101
Synagogal Music in the Baroque - II
Hosha'na Rabbah in Casale Monferrato 1732 / Dove in the Clefts of the Rock
Israel National Choir Rinat / The Keshet Baroque Orchestra - Avner Itai
Anthology of Musical Traditions in Israel CD 9401
Synagogal Music in the Baroque - III
Hosha'na Rabbah in Casale Monferrato 1733
Capella Savaria / Hungarian Chamber Choir - Avner Itai
Anthology of Musical Traditions in Israel CD 9601

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Todd M. McComb