27 tracks - MP3 192 Kbps - RAR 105 Mb
What is music coming to? With a song called "I'm Called Mister Erection," lyrics including the deathless line "it's a piece of dog sh*t," melodies so primitive that they're infantile, and harmonies so primitive that they barely exist, it's hard to imagine ever calling this stuff music. But not only was this stuff written by Orlande de Lassus, one of the greatest of the late-Renaissance composers, he even saw fit to publish most of it. Apparently, despite his transcendent motets and his exquisite madrigals, Lassus had a sense of humor and all listeners can do is to take it or leave it. But if they decide to take it, they have to take it with a grain of salt and a sense of humor.
Rinaldo Alessandrini and the Concerto Italiano clearly decided to take it with a great sense of humor because this is one of the funniest discs of so-called serious music ever released. That this is the same rarified vocal ensemble that has released so many emotionally nuanced recordings of Monteverdi's madrigals is hard to believe, but clearly the singers are enjoying their work and their enjoyment is infectious. Although the singers still sing with wonderful expressivity and tremendous flexibility, the Concerto Italiano is not shy about making the sound of its voices match the crude, rude, and lewd music. The result is a terrific disc, but certainly not for listeners with delicate sensitivities.
contents:
1 - Allala la pia calia, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/104
2 - Saccio 'na cosa, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/8
3 - Lucia celu hai biscamia (morescha), villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/97
4 - S'io ve dico, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/75
5 - Ecco la ninph'ebraica chiamata, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/76
6 - Par ch'hai lasciato, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/82
7 - Io ti vorria contra, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/85
8 - Hai Lucia buona cosa (morescha), villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/86
9 - Chi chilichi, moresca for 6 voices (S. x/120)
10 - O Lucia miau (morescha), villanelle for 3 voices, S. x/70
11 - Ad alter le voi dare, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/77
12 - Tutto 'l di mi dici, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/79
13 - Cathalina apra finestra, morescha for 6 voices, (S. 10/112)
14 - Tutto 'l di piango (Petrarca), madrigal for 5 voices, S. iv/122
15 - Matona mia cara, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/93
16 - S'io fusse ciaul'ettu, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/92
17 - Ogni giorno m'han ditt'a chi favelli, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/91
18 - O bella fusa, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/89
19 - Madonna mia pieta, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/61
20 - Canta Giorgia canta (morescha), villanelle for 5 voices, S. x/125
21 - S'io ti vedess'una sol volt'il giorno, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/102
22 - O occhi manza mia, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/103
23 - Sol'e pensos i piu deserti campi (Petrarch), madrigal for 5 voices, S. ii/71
24 - Tutto 'l di mi dici, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/79
25 - Mi me chiamere, villanelle for 5 voices, S. x/108
26 - O la o che bon echo, villanelle for 8 voices, S. x/140
27 - Zanni piasi patro, villanelle for 8 voices, S. x/135
Concerto Italiano
Rinaldo Alessandrini
Rossana Bertini, Soprano
Roberto Balconi, Alto
Monica Piccinini, Soprano
Claudio Cavina, Alto
Giuseppe Maletto, Tenor
Sandro Naglia, Tenor
Daniele Carnovich, Bass
Sergio Foresti, Bass
