Verdelot: Madrigals

A Renaissance Songbook
Verdelot: The Complete Madrigal Book of 1536
Catherine King / Charles Daniels / Jacob Heringman
Linn 142

Contents:

  1. Quanto sia lieto il giorno
  2. Quando amor i begli occhi
  3. Donna leggiadr' et bella
  4. Melchiore de Barberiis: Madonna, qual certezza (lute solo)
  5. Madonna, qual certezza
  6. Con lagrime et sospir
  7. Fuggi, fuggi, cor mio
  8. Valentin Bakfark: Dormend'un giorno a Baia (lute solo)
  9. Igno soave
  10. Amor se d'hor in hor
  11. Donna che sete tra le belle bella
  12. Se mai provasti donna
  13. Giovanni Maria da Crema: Con lagrime et sospir (lute solo)
  14. Afflitti spirti mei
  15. Ben che'l misero cor
  16. Madonna il tuo bel viso
  17. Divini occhi sereni
  18. Se lieta e grata morte
  19. Anon., pub. Phalèse: Vita de la mia vita (lute solo)
  20. Vita de la mia vita
  21. Gloriar mi poss'io donne
  22. Hans Newsidler: Gloriar mi poss'io donne (lute solo)
  23. Piove da gli occhi della donna mia
  24. Con l'angelico riso
  25. S'io pensasse madonna
  26. Madonna io sol vorrei
  27. Miguel de Fuenllana: Madonna per voi ardo (lute solo)
  28. Madonna per voi ardo

Performers: Catherine King (mezzo-soprano), Charles Daniels (tenor), Jacob Heringman (lute), Brian Shelley (tenor), Robert Macdonald (bass)

Playing time: 70'

Recording date: February, 2000 (Toddington)

Philippe Verdelot (c.1485-c.1550) was born in France with the surname Deslouges. He served in Florence from 1521-1527, forming the only concrete evidence of his existence. His madrigals, however, consisting of more than 100 appearing in various publications, form perhaps the most important early Renaissance output and the one on which the future development of the form was most clearly based. Verdelot is typical of composers of the period in moving from the Northern countries to Italy for employment. It was in subsequent generations that native Italian composers began to make their own mark in these genres.

A recording devoted to Verdelot's important contemporary Jacobus Arcadelt (c.1505-1568), another Northern composer who moved to Italy and was a pioneer of the Renaissance madrigal genre:

Arcadelt: Madrigals
The Consort of Musicke - Anthony Rooley
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77162

A recording devoted to important early madrigal composer Cipriano de Rore (c.1515-1565), marking an important transitional point in the emotional development and word painting for which the madrigal became known:

Rore: Il Quinto Libro di Madrigali
The Consort of Musicke - Anthony Rooley
Musica Oscura 70991

An intabulation of Verdelot madrigals as set by another composer for simpler ensemble:

Willaert: Complete Works, Volume 6
Intavolature dei Madrigali di Verdelot
Il Desiderio
Stradivarius 33325

It has recently been suggested that the composer of these transcriptions may not actually have been Willaert, although they were certainly based on Verdelot's polyphonic songs.

A recording devoted to sacred music by Verdelot:

Verdelot: Missa Philomena Prævia
Ensemble Vocale e Strumentale Delitiæ Musicæ - Marco Longhini
Stradivarius 33405

A similar recording of later music by the present performers:

Airs de Cour
Courtly Songs of Louis XIII
Catherine King / Charles Daniels / Jacob Heringman
Linn 089

Finally, a couple of other recordings featuring significant related music from Italy in this era:

Firenze 1539
Music for the wedding of the Duke of Florence, Cosimo de Medici and Leonora da Tolleto
Centre de musique ancienne de Geneva, etc. - Gabriel Garrido
Tactus 530001
Cantar alla Pavana
Canzoni, Frottole, Villotte e Madrigali dell'Apografo Miscellaneo Marciano (1526)
Consort Veneto - Giovanni Toffano
Tactus 520002

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Todd M. McComb