CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI

“The performance is highly polished and well worth having”

Crawford

“The madrigals … are excellently performed: the singers relish the harmonic clashes in the five-voice ‘Zefiro toma’, and the vocal acting in ‘Gira il nemico’ is a delight.”

Richard Lawrence

“I Fagiolini’s Monteverdi series continues with another fascinating and faultlessly executed programme of scherzo and accompanied and unaccompanied madrigals from 1605-1638.
The range of effects is startling: from the dazed idée fixe of ‘T’amo, mia vita!’ (1605) to the buoyant ground bass of ‘Zefiro torna’ (1632), here brilliantly animated by chitarrone, harp and harpsichord. Most exciting, however, is the group’s reading of ‘Ballo delle Ingrate’ and Barokksolistene’s sullen dance for the dammed.”
 

Anna Picard
 

 “By exploring works that move the emotions of the listener I Fagiolini present a sumptuous selection of madrigals which demonstrate both the huge variety of Monteverdi’s musical language and the flexibility of their artistry. Even with so many recordings of Monteverdi’s works now jostling for our attention, this new release from I Fagiolini is highly desirable and reinforces what an exciting project their Monteverdi series has been so far.”

Ed Breen

       Performance ****      Recording *****

“The experience and flair of I Fagiolini is clearly demonstrated across these styles and textures. There is beautiful solo soprano singing in ‘Ohimè, dov’è il mio \bien?, and real musical panache in the metaphorical attack by Love on the castle of the heart in ‘Gira il nemico’. Additionally, the Baroque instrumentalists under violinist Bjarte Eike add much to the Ballo della Ingrate – the high plucked strings accompanying Amore are magical, and Plutone’s magnificent bass singing is neatly supported.”
 

Anthony Pryer

This is the third disc in I Fagiolini’s survey of Monteverdi’s madrigals, and, with Norway’s crack Barokksolistene, the repertoire it encompasses makes for a gratifying and dramatic sequence. Love spurned, love lost, love sought – these are the themes of a programme performed by these gifted musicians with their customary flair and sensibility. "

Telegraph Rating ****

Geoffrey Norris

“Overall, Hollingworth directs a spaciously paced performance with sonorous string ritornelli from Barokksolistene, supple continuo support (including harp, organ, harpsichord and chitarrone) and simply effective solo singing from Julia Doyle (Amore), Clare Wilkinson (Venere) and Anna Crookes as an especially anguished Ingrata, returning sadly to the ‘smoke, screams and laments’ of everlasting torment. Best of all is Jonathan Sells, whose Plutone manages to be sinister, sarcastic and sepulchral all at the same time and with just the right edge to his voice…..Sells … brings exceptional richness and consistency of tone to the role. I can’t recall another performance which achieves so much with such a light touch. In such text-sensitive, emotionally rich performances this is the kind of ‘Sweet Torment’ that you never want to end … but an hour and 20 minutes is pretty good going.”

Simon Heighes

"A detailed Ballo delle ingrate lifts this madrigal recital above the crowd"

Fabrice Fitch