ItalianIl madrigals,Mantovano Hebrew prayers and Hebreo instrumental music by Salomone Rossi PROFETI DELLA QUINTA Recorded at the National Centre for Early Music, St Margaret’s Church, York, UK from 15-18 July 2012 Produced and recorded by Philip Hobbs Assistant engineering by Robert Cammidge Post-production by Julia Thomas Design by GMToucari.com Cover image from Civitates orbis terrarium (Cologne 1572). Digital image courtesy of Getty’s Open Content Program. 2 WITH THANKS TO MUSIC PUBLICATIONS BY SALOMONE ROSSI Janet Cromartie, Tabea Schwartz, Simon MacHale, Giovanna Baviera, Hashirim Asher Li’Shlomo Stefano Patuzzi, Tanya Trojan, Flavio (Venice, 1622/3) Ferri-Benedetti and the National Centre for Early Music (York). Il Primo Libro de Madrigali The violin played by Eva Saladin (Venice, 1600) belongs to the Dutch foundation Il Secondo Libro de Madrigali Nationaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds. (Venice, 1602) This recording forms part of Profeti Il Terzo Libro de Madrigali della Quinta’s prize as winners of the (Venice, 1603) 2011 York Early Music International Il Quarto Libro de Madrigali Young Artists Competition. The (Venice, 1610) biennial competition for early music Il Primo Libro de Madrigali [a 4] ensembles takes place as part of York (Venice, 1614) Early Music Festival and is recognised Madrigaletti a due voci as a major international platform for (Venice, 1628) emerging talent in the early music world. Il Primo Libro delle Sinfonie e This recording was Gagliarde a 3/5 voci made at the National (Venice, 1607) Centre for Early Music, Il Secondo Libro delle Sinfonie e housed within the Gagliarde a 3/5 voci converted church of St (Venice, 1607) Margaret’s, York. The Il Terzo Libro de Varie Sonate, NCEM offers excellent Sinfonie... recording facilities to musicians of (Venice, 1613) all genres. For more information see Il Quarto Libro de Varie Sonate, www.ncem.co.uk Sinfonie... (Venice, 1622) 3 1. Psalm 128: Shir hamma’alót, ashréi kol yeré Adonái 2:32 Hashirim Asher Li’Shlomo 2. Sinfonia prima a 5 e a 3 si placet 2:29 Il Primo Libro delle Sinfonie e Gagliarde 3. Sfogava con le stelle 2:38 Il Primo Libro de Madrigali 4. Sinfonia prima 1:20 Il Primo Libro delle Sinfonie e Gagliarde 5. Tu parti, ahi lasso 2:12 Il Quarto Libro de Madrigali 6. Cor mio, deh non languire 2:12 Il Primo Libro de Madrigali 7. Sinfonia undecima 1:08 Il Primo Libro delle Sinfonie e Gagliarde 8. Udite, lacrimosi spirti d’averno 2:08 Il Primo Libro de Madrigali 9. Sinfonia seconda, detta la Emiglia 1:36 Il Terzo Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… 10. Gagliarda a 5 e a 3 si placet, detta Narciso 0:55 Il Secondo Libro delle Sinfonie e Gagliarde 4 11. Correnta terza 1:01 22. Sinfonia duodecima 1:39 Il Terzo Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… Il Primo Libro delle Sinfonie e Gagliarde 12. Brando secondo 1:41 23. In dolci lacci 1:35 Il Terzo Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… Il Primo Libro de Madrigali [a 4] 13. Tirsi mio, caro Tirsi 2:30 24. Sonata Ottava sopra l’Aria Il Primo Libro de Madrigali È tanto tempo hormai 3:09 Il Quarto Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… 14. Sinfonia quinta 2:44 Il Quarto Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… 25. Ohimè, se tanto amate 2:16 Il Primo Libro de Madrigali 15. Rimanti in pace 4:14 Il Primo Libro de Madrigali 26. Messaggier di speranza 3:09 Madrigaletti a due voci 16. Sinfonia decima 1:59 Il Secondo Libro delle Sinfonie e Gagliarde 27. Corrente settima 1:09 Il Terzo Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… 17. Psalm 100: Mizmór letodá 1:59 Hashirim Asher Li’Shlomo 28. Gagliarda a 5 e a 3 si placet, detta la Zambalina 1:08 18. Gagliarda disperata 1:19 Il Secondo Libro delle Sinfonie e Gagliarde Il Terzo Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… 29. Pargoletta, che non sai 3:22 19. Correnta sesta 1:14 Madrigaletti a due voci Il Terzo Libro di Varie Sonate, Sinfonie… 30. Psalm 126: Shir hamma’alót, 20. Psalm 146: Haleluyáh 3:15 beshúv Adonái 2:24 Hashirim Asher Li’Shlomo Hashirim Asher Li’Shlomo 21. Vedrò ‘l mio sol 2:20 Il Terzo Libro de Madrigali Total Time: 60:03 5 by contrapuntal transparency and elegant declamation rather than the Mantovano overwhelming expression found in From the music included in Salomone Monteverdi’s works. Rossi’s (c.1570-c.1630) publications Rossi’s madrigals serve as an it seems that he was more Mantovano important landmark in music history: than Hebreo. While Rossi is well- his Il Primo Libro di Madrigali (1600) known for his famous volume of sacred includes the first known printed music in Hebrew, Hashirim Asher intabulation for the chitarrone (also Li’Shlomo (1622/3), he also published known as the theorbo). This four books of instrumental music and intabulation appears as a possible nine books of Italian secular music accompaniment for six of the (within which we find six books of madrigals in this collection and offers madrigals, and one book each of alternative performance possibilities canzonette, balletti, and madrigaletti). for these pieces. One option is to treat This vast amount of secular music it as an accompaniment for the five suggests that Rossi played a prominent singers - as heard in Udite, lacrimosi musical role among the nobility of the spiriti d’averno (1600) - the result being city of Mantua, especially at the court equivalent to the practice of of the Gonzagas, where he appears to performing madrigals with basso have worked for most of his musical continuo, which became popular life. during this period. Another option is Rossi’s madrigals although to perform these madrigals using solely historically overshadowed by those of the canto part accompanied by the his colleague and collaborator Claudio chitarrone, as heard in ‘Cor mio, deh Monteverdi (1567-1643), are beautiful non languire’ (1600). Interestingly, the and refined examples of the genre. A result of the latter choice, while based closer examination of the madrigals on five-part polyphony, is surprisingly of these two great composers shows similar to the emerging genre of the two different approaches towards Florentine solo song. The most famous the same style and musical language; publication of this style was Giulio Rossi’s madrigals are characterized Caccini’s Nuove Musiche (1602), which 6 was published at the same time as intabulations however, it is evident Rossi’s first three madrigal books. that this was not the case and that Performing Rossi’s intabulated the intended instrument was a kind madrigals in the aforementioned of Renaissance lute with additional manner – with the canto part alongside bass strings. Most interestingly, the chitarrone - created a link between and quite uncommonly, Rossi the 16th century polyphonic madrigal indicated instrumentation in all of his and the new monodic style of the early instrumental collections: ‘Per sonar 17th century. due viole & un chitarrone’ (‘to be played An even clearer connection between with two violins and a chitarrone’). Rossi and Caccini can be found in Each composition on this album is their settings of the same poems: performed as originally indicated by Rossi’s ‘Sfogava con le stelle’ (1602) the composer. and ‘Vedrò ‘l mio sol’ (1603) conclude At the Gonzaga court in Mantua, with almost identical melodies to those Rossi’s instrumental pieces would have set by Caccini. Considering the fame been performed regularly, in dramatic that Caccini’s songs had long before performances, balls and chamber they were printed, it is most likely that concerts. These charming pieces were Rossi was the one inspired by Caccini integrated in dramatic performances, and not vice versa. This tribute to one balls and chamber concerts. Rossi’s of the leading musical figures of the first collections of instrumental music time is demonstrative of the extent contain several pieces for four- and to which Rossi was influenced by his five-parts (as heard in ‘Sinfonia contemporaries. Prima a 5’). Following this, Rossi At the time, several sources concentrated solely on the newly indicated that the two terms were invented trio sonata combination of simply different names for the same two upper voices and a bass. These instrument. Today, the theorbo is works included sinfonias in various often thought of as a lute instrument affetti dance movements (gagliarde, with re-entered tuning (where the correnti and brandi), as well as two upper most strings are tuned one sonatas which ventured into virtuoso octave lower). According to Rossi’s writing for the violin. 7 Rossi’s last publication of music was their own heritage. Thus Rossi - his Madrigaletti a due voci (1628), a unique in his musical abilities in the vocal form parallel to the instrumental Jewish community - created a new trio sonata; both were written for a genre that was inspired, even if only combination of two equal parts over conceptually, by the music in the a bass. The madrigaletti were Rossi’s ancient temple of Jerusalem. Rabbi most modern vocal compositions, Leon Modena, Rossi’s supporter ranging from the expressive and religious authority, wrote in his ‘Messaggier di speranza’ (1628) to the elaborate preface to the publication: light-hearted ‘Pargoletta, che non sai’ (1628). [For] who could forget or fail to remember the efforts of old King David [...] he allowed them to have instruments for use in instrumental music and vocal music. Such was their practice Hebreo for as long as the House of the Lord remained In addition to his prolific secular on its site [...] and Salomone [Rossi] alone is activity as a Mantuan musician, Rossi, exalted nowadays in this wisdom [of music]. being Jewish, aimed to revolutionise the music of the synagogue by The publication date of Hashirim Asher introducing polyphonic settings of Li’Shlomo in 1622/3 is later than most Hebrew prayers and psalms into the of Rossi’s other works and suggests service.