Marenzio: Il Nono Libro de Madrigali

Marenzio: Il Nono Libro de Madrigali, 1599
La Venexiana - Claudio Cavina
Glossa 920906
Glossa 80906

Contents:

  1. Così nel mio parlar (Dante: stanza di canzone)
    Et ella ancide
  2. Amor, i' ho (Petrarch: stanza di sestina doppia)
  3. Dura legge d'Amor (Petrarch: terzine di capitolo)
    E so come in un punto
  4. Chiaro segno Amor pose (Petrarch: stanza di sestina doppia)
  5. Se sì alto pon gir (Petrarch: stanza di sestina doppia)
  6. L'aura che'l verde Lauro (Petrarch: sonnet)
    Si ch'io non veggia
  7. Il vago e bell'Armillo (Celiano / Grillo: madrigal)
    E dicea "O beate onde"
  8. Solo e pensoso (Petrarch: sonnet)
    Sì c'io mi cred'homai
  9. Vivo in guerra (Ongaro: sonnet)
    E gl'occhi al cielo e a lei
  10. Fiume ch'a l'onde (Ongaro: madrigal)
    Ahi tu mel nieghi
  11. Parto o non parto? (Guarini: madrigal)
  12. Credete voi ch'i' viva (Guarini: madrigal)
  13. Crudele, acerba, inesorabil morte (Petrarch: stanza di sestina)
  14. La bella man vi stringo (Guarini: madrigal)

Performers: Rossana Bertini (soprano), Marina De Liso (mezzosoprano), Claudio Cavina (countertenor), Sandro Naglia (tenor), Giuseppe Maletto (tenor), Daniele Carnovich (bass), Gabriele Palomba (lute), Franco Pavan (lute), Fabio Bonizzoni (harpsichord)

Playing time: 63'

Recording date: April 1999 (Roletto)

Marenzio's ninth and final book of madrigals, in five voices, was published in 1599, shortly before his death. Marenzio's style was on the verge of becoming old-fashioned by this time, and rather than avoiding that, he seems to welcome it by choosing older poets who were also going out of style among madrigalists. Poets are given parenthetically.

However, Marenzio is less old-fashioned in his settings than he is distinct from the path of evolution which eventually won out. He adopts a new austerity here, yet lively at the same time, but with a somehow calculating and uncompromising basis. It seems critics of the "new music" were unsure whether to lambaste him or not.

Another recording devoted to Marenzio:

Marenzio: Il Sesto Libro de Madrigali a 5
La Venexiana - Claudio Cavina
Glossa 920909

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Todd M. McComb