Gesualdo: Madrigali Libro Iv / The Kassiopeia Quintet

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GESUALDO Madrigals, Book 4 • Kassiopeia Qnt • GLOBE 5224 (45:01 Text and Translation)


The first disc in this traversal of Gesualdo’s six books of madrigals arrived a couple of years ago (29:3). Wondering about the latest record number (the first book was numbered 5221), I found that the intervening numbers containing the second and third books of madrigals have already been issued, but not submitted for review. Apart from the old complete set of Gesualdo’s madrigals (still available), Book 4 has been recorded by Francesco Cera on Tactus and La Venexiana (24: 3). Cera seems to share the short playing time of the new disc, while La Venexiana adds three bonus madrigals from the second and fifth books and the Canzon francese to fill out the disc. Kassiopeia’s Book 1 was up against the more economical layout of Harry van der Kamp’s first three books of madrigals on a pair of discs, similar performances by two Dutch ensembles. Kassiopeia continues to give a fine account of the madrigals, singing at normal pitch, a third higher than La Venexiana’s transposed rendering and considerably faster in every madrigal without exception; the overall difference is eight minutes. The more relaxed tempos allow La Venexiana to bring out the affect of the chromaticisms. La Venexiana also uses lutes and a harpsichord, while Kassiopeia uses only voices. Since the field is not crowded, there is room for Kassiopeia’s intelligent traversal of this collection.


FANFARE: J. F. Weber


Product Description:

  • Release Date: March 08, 2007


  • Catalog Number: GLO5224


  • UPC: 8711525522404


  • Label: Globe Records


  • Number of Discs: 1


  • Composer: Carlo Gesualdo


  • Orchestra/Ensemble: Kassiopeia Quintet