Cremona is known today for its violin makers, but it is also home to one of the greatest musical geniouses in his youth: Monteverdi was born in Cremona in 1567 and spent the first twenty years of his life in this small Lombard town which lays on the Po where his musical vocation came into being.
It is from this period of his life that the first three Books of madrigals date, of which this CD proposes a selection. There is no more faithful an ambassador or this repertoire than Les Arts Florissants, who have interpreted the complete cycle of the Monteverdi madrigals since 2011 — a great enterprise which is taken them all over Europe.
Following Mantova (Books IV to VI) released in October 2014 and before the next season Venezia (Books VII and VIII), this Cremona volume constitues the birth of a cycle which changed the face of music.
The performers
Primo Libro
Les Arts Florissants
Musicam direction: Paul Agnew
Miriam Allan, soprano
Hannah Morrison, soprano
Marie Gautrot, contralto
Paul Agnew, tenor
Sean Clayton, tenor
Lisandro Abadie, bass
Secondo Libro
Les Arts Florissants
Musical direction: Paul Agnew
Maud Gnidzaz, soprano
Hannah Morrison, soprano
Marie Gautrot, contralto
Paul Agnew, tenor
Sean Clayton, tenor
Callum Thorpe, bass
Terzo Libro
Les Arts Florissants
Musical direction: Paul Agnew
Miriam Allan, soprano
Hannah Morrison, soprano
Stéphanie Leclercq, contralto
Paul Agnew, tenor
Sean Clayton, tenor
Lisandro Abadie, bass
Recordings made at the Cité de la musique/Philharmonie de Paris on the occasion of the complete Monteverdi madrigals cycle presented in partnership with the CIté de la musique/Philharmonie de Paris and the théâtre de Caen.
