5 Madrigals for 3 Voices

SKU: HL.49015916

ISBN 9790220124518. UPC: 884088567606. 8.25x11.75x0.375 inches. Italian.

Like many Englishmen I had sung madrigals for pleasure - usually late at night with friends, after several glasses of wine. While these madrigals have their charm, and many are extremely beautiful, I found, as I began an extended exploration of the madrigal as a creative venture, that the richest source lies in the Italian Renaissance.In 1998 I embarked on a project to write a series of madrigals, eventually deciding to collect them in 'books' in the manner of Italian madrigalists, such as Monteverdi or Gesualdo. The Second Book is for an unusual six-part group - the Scandinavian Trio Mediaeval (3 sopranos) and three tenors (John Potter plus two from the Hilliard Ensemble) - and sets Petrarch in the original 14th century Italian. I focused on those sonnets known as the Rima Sparsi (scattered verses) and added one extra Petrarch setting - originally a radiophonic piece (Marconi's Madrigal) for CBC's Marconi Day. Gavin Bryars.

SKU: UT.ODH-35

ISBN 9790215322578. 9 x 12 inches.

L’amorosa caccia is a collection of 24 madrigals for five voices, created specially by as many composers originating from Mantua. All were distinguished professional people, working within the church, at court or in the Palatine basilica of Saint Barbara, and music lovers of noble birth from the area who were somehow connected to the Academy of the Invaghiti, or perhaps part of the same. Among the established musicians of the collection are to be mentioned: G.M. Bacchino, H. Baccusi, P. Cantino, A. Coma, G. Moro, S. Nascimbeni, A. Nuvoloni, N. Parma, G.B. Recalchi, F. Rovigo, A. Striggio, R. Trofeo. The lesser-known, however, seem to be: C. Accelli, E. Ceruti, S. Cressoni, P. Marni, A. Preti, while the following: H. Borelli, C. Ceruti, O. Grassi, P. Massari, G.B. Orto, F. Ramesini, C. Zucca have become known as composers only thanks to L’amorosa caccia.
The realization in score of the madrigals has made it possible to bring to light this collection, establishing its actual musical value and proving the remarkable mastery of madrigal writing of these 24 musicians and offering the opportunity to highlight each one’s different skill as a composer. If some of them have proved to be completely in line with the practices of the time, verging on Augenmusik, others stand out for the wide variety of their harmonies, melodies and rhythms, seeking the best musical expressions to express the affetti contained in the text.
There are no major breakthroughs, but, if the contrapuntal procedures are as to be expected, the body of voices, the experimentation, the interplay between the parts and the harmonic sensitivity show familiarity with the vocal virtuosity of the concerti di dame of Ferrara and Mantua, bringing out what was most modern at the time. The possibility that these madrigals may actually have been performed by that very group of talented singers is enchanting and entirely plausible.

SKU: HH.HH535FSP

ISBN 9790708185482.

These previously unnoticed chamber duets for various pairs of voices and basso continuo are among the most original compositions from the pen of Diogenio Bigaglia (1678–1745), the Venetian monk who was also a skilled and imaginative composer. They are set to texts taken from the famously chromatic madrigals of Carlo Gesualdo published over a century earlier. The purpose of this choice was not to commemorate Gesualdo but to assemble a homogeneous group of short poems suitable for Bigaglia’s evident main aim, which was to produce a cycle of vocal duets imitating the structural layout and musical processes of the contemporary trio sonata.

SKU: ST.EM8

ISBN 9790220206320.

Well-known in his day as one of the most important contributors to East's Whole Book of Psalms (1592), Farmer was in the service of the Earl of Oxford who, more than any other nobleman, established the professional Elizabethan theatre. In the year that Burbidge opened the Globe Theatre, these 18 madrigals (the most famous is probably Fair Phyllis) gave the composer an attractive place in the history of English music.

CONTENTS
A little pretty bonny lass (SATB)
Cease now thy mourning (SAT(or A) B (or T))
Compare me to the child (SAT(or A) B)
Fair nymphs, I heard one telling (SSAT(or A) TB)
Fair Phyliss, I saw (SATB)
I thought, my love (SATB)
Now each creature joys the other (SATB)
O stay sweet love (SATB)
Soon as the hungry lion (SATB)
Sweet friend, thy absence (SAT(or A) B)
Sweet Lord, your flame still burning (SATB)
Take time while time doth last (SATB)
The flattering words (SATB)
Who would have thought that face? (SAAT)
You blessed bowers (SSATTTBB)
You'll never leave still tossing (SATB)
You pretty flowers that smile (SAT(or A) B.

SKU: ST.EM27

ISBN 9790220203428.

A minor canon of Norwich Cathedral, Carlton belonged also to the older generation of madrigal composers, particularly fond of the 'Byrd' or English cadence of flat versus sharp leading-notes. Although he claims to have laboured 'somewhat to imitate the Italian style', he admitted in his preface, 'I cannot forget that I am an English man.'

CONTENTS
All creatures then (SSATB)
Calm was the air (SSAT (or A) B)
Content thyself with thy estate (SAATB)
Even as the flowers do wither (SSATB)
From stately tower (SSATB)
If women can be courteous (SSATB)
Let every sharp (SSATB)
Like as the gentle heart (SSATB)
Nought is on earth (SSATB)
Nought under heaven (SSATB)
O vain desire (SSATB)
Sound saddest notes (SSATB)
So whilom learned (SSATB)
The heathen Gods for love (SA (or T) A (or T) BB)
The love of change (SSATB)
The self-same things (SS (or A) ATB)
The witless boy (SSATB)
When Flora fair (SSATB)
Who seeks to captivate (SAATB)
Who vows devotion (SSATB)
With her sweet locks (SSATB)
Ye gentle ladies (SSATB).

SKU: HL.14011728

ISBN 9788759851890. UPC: 888680705817. 10.5x14.5 inches. Danish.

These Four Madrigals by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen are settings of texts by the Australian author, Les Murray. Two songs were originally written for the Song Company, Australia and two more from his larger work, Sound/Sight for Danish Radio Chamber Choir. All have been arranged here for six voices (SSATBarB) with texts in English and Danish. Duration 16:30.