Vecchi's madrigal-comedy L'Amfiparnaso was first performed in 1594 and published in 1597, with its text written by the Bologna poet Giulio Cesare Croce.
Interpretation
The recording features Cappella Musicale di San Petronio di Bologna, with Sergio Vartolo as director, performing this madrigal comedy.
Compositional Technique
The madrigals in L'Amfiparnaso are scored for five voices, with contrasting groups of three voices used within the texture, and are intended for the listener rather than the spectator.
Compositional Technique
L'Amfiparnaso features characters from the commedia dell'arte, such as Pantalone, Doctor Graziano, and Capitan Cardone, alongside young lovers and comic servants.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The title L'Amfiparnaso refers to the twin peaks of Mount Parnassus, symbolizing music in a technically accomplished polyphonic style and comic poetry in a style derived from Francesco Berni.
Composer Biography
Orazio Vecchi, the composer of this madrigal comedy, spent much of his career in his native Modena and was ordained as a priest.
Compositional Technique
Each scene in L'Amfiparnaso is preceded by a three-line summary of the narrative, and the Prologue encourages the audience to listen and imagine the events rather than watch them.
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