Monteverdi’s Miniature Masterpieces: Madrigals of War and Love

Saturday, November 19 at 8 pm and Sunday, November 20 at 3 pm


Singers:
  • Ruth Escher
  • Rita Lilly
  • Clifton Massey
  • Neal Rogers
  • Jeff Barnett
  • Jeff Fields
Keyboardists:
  • Jonathan Salzedo, artistic director
  • Marion Rubinstein
Strings:
  • David Wilson
  • Laura Runinstein-Salzedo
  • Farley Pearce
  • Roy Wheldon
Winds:
  • Steve Escher
  • Joyce Johnson-Hamilton
  • Carol Panofsky
  • Marion Rubinstein

Around 1600, music was reborn. Perfection was old, and lively minds wanted something new. Out with pure and cerebral: the revolutionaries craved immediate and gritty. Clever polyphony surrendered to virtuosic unfolding, music tailored to its text, keyboard-centric ensembles, and the modern orchestra and opera. Naturally, this happened in Italy, with Monteverdi at the center. The old style was seamlessly woven into the new. His mature works, including the Madrigals of War and Love, are prime examples of the new style. We present the ravishing Lamento dell ninfa, expressing the full sadness of unrequited love; the treacherous Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, an enlightening review of the Crusades; and the opposing themes of Others Sing of Love and Others Sing of War. And with our rich micro-orchestra, we interweave instrumental works by Frescobaldi, Monteverdi’s illustrious Roman contemporary.