Search - Giaches de Wert, Anthony Rooley, The Consort of Musicke :: De Wert: Settimo Libro de Madrigali (Seventh Book of Madrigals) - Consort of Musicke

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 01/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"EXOTIC, HYPNOTIC AND EROTIC DE WERT!

"Settimo Libro de Madrigali" (Seventh Book of Madrigals) performed by the Consort of Musicke is a group of thirteen madrigals mostly concerned with 'aspects of love' (with apologies to Andrew Lloyd Webber).



Gaiches de Wert (1535-1596) was one of the last two important madrigalists from Northern Europe who worked wholly or mainly in Italy. He was one of the most progressive composers of his day whose works are known for their vivid word painting, telling use of chromaticism, wide voice range, declamatory passages and a tendency to make the lower voices accompany the upper.



He was Director of Music at Mantua, where he composed his seventh and eighth books of five-part madrigals (1581-1586); they were polyphonic and included prominent soprano parts, rapidly running lines and WRITTEN-OUT ornamentation(clever man; interpreting ornaments is the bane of the performers existence). His music did indeed anticipate the new music of Monteverdi, and he was his [predecessor).



This seventh book of Madrigals represent some of DeWert's finest music and covers a wide variety of subjects and moods. The music is rich and densely textured and many dwell on the more painful aspects of love. The poetic text is of exceptionally high quality and is enhanced greatly by Wert's treatment of it: varied vocal scoring, sudden shifts in texture, vivid madrigalisms in response to individual keywords such as 'streams' or 'abyss' 'weeping' 'trembling', and harmonic nuances; he rarely fails to capture the hidden emotional agenda of each text.



The Consort of Musicke was founded by its director ,Anthony Rooley, (Emma's husband) in 1969, at which time there were 6 singers; on this disc there are seven. In addition, Michael Chance-countertenor-makes an occasional appearance when they need his voice.. Unfortunately, he is only on one selection in this group. Other singers involved are:E.Kirkby,E.Tubb, S.LeBlanc (sopranos)-M.Nichols(alto)-A.King,R.Miller(tenors) and A.Ewing(bass). Skilled singers all!!



The singing of the Consort of Musicke responds well to all the demands of this music: unfailingly sensitive to word implications, well shaped melodic lines, balance that allow the textures to breathe and the harmonies to glow. This is indeed an exciting and very entertaining recording, and through the years I have played it again and again!"

Sensuously performed madrigals

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 04/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anthony Rooley?s Consort of Musicke is justly famous for its performances and recordings of the madrigals of Monteverdi (on Decca and Virgin), but the ensemble has more to offer than just the works of one composer: here, for example, they have produced an exquisite recording of madrigals on texts by Tasso, Guarini, Petrarca etc. by Giaches de Wert (1535 ? 1596), choirmaster at the Mantuan court and immediate predecessor of Monteverdi. The texts are mainly, but not exclusively, laments and are set to music in a way that, when performed as it is done here, can only be described as sensuous, with up to seven voices blending beautifully and justifying Wert?s reputation as a past master of the madrigal. The singers are Emma Kirkby and Evelyn Tubb, soprano, Mary Nichols, alto, Andrew King and Rufus Müller, tenor, and Alan Ewing, bass, all of them first-class representatives of early music singing. They are here joined on one track each by the brilliant countertenor Michael Chance and by soprano Suzie LeBlanc, and as the recording (made in Forde Abbey, England, in 1988) is also of top-class quality, the end result is a superb listening experience ? something that I have come to expect of the Consort of Musicke since hearing them live a few years ago. Highly recommended."