Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643) Lamento d’Arianna (1623) Madrigali guerrieri e amorosi, Libro ottavo (1624) – extraits Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (1624)
Soprano | Eugénie Warnier Ténor | Anders J. Dahlin Ténor | Magnus Staveland Les Talens Lyriques Direction, orgue & clavecin | Christophe Rousset
When in 1638 appeared his Eighth book of madrigals, Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was, at seventy-one years of age at the peak of his career: since 1613 he had been living in Venice where he directed the most celebrated Italian musical institution – la Cappella di San Marco – he therefore enjoyed an international reputation. Considered to be the composer’s “secular music testament” this penultimate collection brings together works of various genres and epochs, under the evocative title of Madrigali guerrieri e amorosi. Amongst these works, Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (Venice, 1624), a miniature opera based on an extract of La Gerusalemme Liberata by Tasso where the themes of love and warlike fighting are marvelously mixed together. The collection also contains duos, as many “Canti guerrieri” as “Canti amorosi”, composed on the poetry of Petrarch and Rinuccini.
As for the Lamento, it is the only music which has come down to us from L’Arianna, the composer’s second opera, first performed on 28th May 1608 during the festivities organised in honour of the wedding of the Duke of Mantua. Here it is performed in its version for solo voice.
