Having already recorded several acclaimed albums of Gesualdo madrigals, La Compagnia del Madrigale turn their attention to the Second Book. This set of songs was probably written after his infamous murder of his wife and her lover, and before his subsequent remarriage, and they are in general calmer in tone than those in the later books. Also included are nine additional madrigals by contemporaries, inspired by Gesualdo's remarkable style.
Featuring
La Compagnia del Madrigale
Carlo Gesualdo
Pomponio Nenna
Giovanni de Macque
Giuseppe Palazzotto Tagliavia
Sigismondo d'India
Did you know?
1/7
Composition History
Gesualdo's marriage to Eleonora d'Este, cousin of the Duke of Ferrara, was a political operation intended to prevent Ferrara's annexation by the Papal States.
Composer Biography
Carlo Gesualdo, the main composer on this album, was involved in a notorious double murder of his wife and her lover in Naples in October 1590.
Compositional Technique
The Second Book of Madrigals by Gesualdo, composed around 1592-1593, features a gentler and calmer character compared to his later works, which are known for their more daring and dissonant harmonies.
Compositional Technique
The madrigal 'Sento che nel partire' by Gesualdo is a reinterpretation of Cipriano de Rore's famous madrigal 'Ancor che col partire', set to a text by Alfonso d'Avalos, the grandfather of Gesualdo's murdered first wife.
Historical Context
The Este court in Ferrara, initially a source of hope for Gesualdo, ultimately proved to be a "nest of vipers" and a source of gossip, leading to his departure from the city.
Composition History
Gesualdo's first two books of madrigals, including the Second Book featured on this album, were published almost simultaneously in Ferrara in 1594, likely due to his new marriage and connection to the city's musical world.
Album & Artwork
This CD is dedicated to the memory of Anthony Newcomb, a respected scholar of the Italian madrigal and a supporter of La Compagnia del Madrigale, the performing ensemble on this album.
You might also enjoy...
Madrigali Amorosi
Monteverdi: Quarto Libro di Madrigali
Monteverdi: Il sesto libro de madrigali
Gesualdo: Quinto Libro di Madrigali
Sigismondo d'India: Il terzo libro de madrigali á 5 voci
Gesualdo: Madrigali, Libri quinto & sesto
Gesualdo: Quinto Libro di Madrigali
Gesualdo: Dolcissima mia vita. Madrigali a cinque voci, Libro quinto (1611)
Arcadelt: Il bianco e dolce cigno
Monteverdi: Il quarto libro dei madrigali
Monteverdi: Il sesto libro de madrigali
De Wert: Il settimo libro de madrigali
Per voi lasso
Gesualdo: O dolce mio tesoro. Madrigali a cinque voci, Libro sesto (1611)
