Lassus villanelle, etc.
- Lassus: Villanelle, moresche e altre canzone
- Concerto Italiano - Rinaldo Alessandrini
Opus 111 30-94
Contents:
- Allala, pia calia (à 4)
- Saccio 'na cosa ch'è di legn'e tonda (à 4)
- Lucia, celu, ahi, ahi, biscania (à 4)
- S'io ve dico ca sete la chiù bella (à 4)
- Ecco la nimph'Ebrayca chiamata (à 4)
- Parch'hai lasciato de non t'affacciare? (à 4)
- Io ti vorria contar la pena mia (à 4)
- Hai, Lucia, bona cosa io dic'a tia (à 4)
- Chichilichi? Cucurucu! (à 6)
- Oh Lucia, miau, miau (moresca à 3; 1560)
- Ad altre le voi dare ste passate (à 4)
- Tutto lo di mi dici: canta, canta! (à 4)
- Cathalina, apra finestra (à 6)
- Tutto 'I dì piango (madrigal à 5; 1567)
- Matona, mia cara, mi follere canzon (à 4)
- S'io fusse ciaul'e tu lo campanile (à 4)
- Ogni giorno m'han ditt'a chi favelli (à 4)
- O belle fusa! chi ne vo' accattare (à 4)
- Madonna mia, pietà (à 4; 1555)
- Canta Georgia, canta (à 6)
- S'io ti vedess'una sol volt'il giorno (à 4)
- O occhi, manza mia, cigli dorati! (à 4)
- Sol' e pensoso i più deserti campi (madrigal à
5; 1555)
- Tutto lo dì mi dici: canta, canta! (à 8)
- Mi me chiamere Mistre Righe (à 5)
- Ola, o che bon eccho! (echo à 8)
- Zanni! Piasi, patro? (dialogue à 8)
Performers: Rossana Bertini, Monica Piccinini (sopranos); Claudio
Cavina, Roberto Balconi (altos); Giuseppe Maletto, Sandro Naglia
(tenors); Daniele Carnovich, Sergio Foresti (basses)
Playing time: 59'
Production date: 1994
The villanelle was a light genre, originating in the popular
music of Naples. The idiom is always light-hearted and the
counterpoint is simple. Although once in the hands of Franco-Flemish
masters like Willaert & Lassus, some
of the simplistic features like parallel fifths were removed, these
songs continue to be quite simple in character.
The moresca was originally a parody of the speech of Africans
living around Naples, but again developed into a slightly more
artistic form. Of course, this music is full of racism and sexually
explicit content. In fact, the present recording acquired some
additional fame by being the first early music recording to require
an "obscene lyrics" advisory in the US.
At any rate, this music goes to show the tremendous diversity
of Lassus' output. The present recording consists of the complete
23 pieces from Lassus' publication "Villanelle, moresche e
altre canzone" of 1581 (however, these songs are reportedly
much earlier compositions which Lassus only then chose to publish)
along with 4 pieces from other sources (tracks 10, 14, 19, 23).
This music stands in sharp contrast to Lassus' sacred music, or
his more seriously-minded madrigals & songs.
Another recording devoted to this repertory:
- Lasso: Villanelle alla Napoletana
- Ensemble Camerata Nova
Stradivarius 33374
Other significant recordings general devoted to the villanella
genre:
- Willaert: Complete Works Vol. 1
- Le Villanesche
Collegio Vocale / Strumentale Euterpe - Antonio Eros Negri
Stradivarius 33311
- Canzoni villanesche alla Napolitana
- Ensemble Daedalus
Accent 94107
- Villanelle Napoletane del XVI secolo
- Ensemble San Felice - Giangiacomo Pinardi
Tactus 500002
Another fine recording devoted to Lassus' secular output, this time
his French chansons, also including some more restrained &
traditional settings:
- Lassus: Chansons & Morescas
- Ensemble Clément Janequin - Dominique Visse
Harmonia Mundi 901391
Recordings devoted to madrigals:
- Lassus: Il Canzoniere di Messer Francesco Petrarca
- Huelgas Ensemble - Paul Van Nevel
Harmonia Mundi 901828
- Lasso: Trionfo dell'Amore
- Madrigals on texts of Petrarca
Orlando di Lasso Ensemble - Detlef Bratschke
Thorofon 2282
A couple of other significant recordings from Lassus' huge &
diverse output, featuring works in multiple languages:
- Lassus: Viersprachendruck
- Motets, Madrigals, Chansons and Lieder
Orlando di Lasso Ensemble Hannover - Detlef Bratschke
Thorofon 2209
- Lassus: Prophetiae Sibyllarum
- Italienische madrigales / Französische chansons
Cantus Cölln - Konrad Junghänel
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77304
And another illustration of the lighter side of Lassus:
- Lasso: Chansons & Madrigals
- The Toronto Consort - David Fallis
Dorian Discovery 80149
To purchasing information for this disc.
To FAQ references to this recording.
To FAQ CD index page.
Todd M. McComb