Search - Claudio Monteverdi, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Concerto Intaliano :: Madrigals-Bk 8

Sensitive and sophisticated

03/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are surely some of the best of Alessandrini's survey of the Monteverdi madrigals, and the recording is not without its surprises. The Lamento della Ninfa, in effect an opera in equisite miniature, on first hearing seems almost breezy and relaxed, but the approach is undeniably effective. And the setting of the Petrarch sonnet, Hor che 'l ciel e la terra, is breathtaking. At times one feels it is about to come to a standstill, but this only intensifies the vivid text-setting and the work's violent contrasts of emotion. As always, Alessandrini's ensemble is remarkable for its combination of flair and elegance, and the fact that these singers are native speakers sets it a notch above Anthony Rooley's performance with the Consort of Musick."