"O sorrowful fate, he who can give me life brings me death." Thus ends the painful madrigal "Moro, lasso, al mio duolo" by Carlo Gesualdo (1560-1613). His music sounds very experimental even now, although it is about 400 years old anyway. Contemporaries as well as later generations explained the fierce character of this music from the violent nature of this composing aristocrat, who had killed both
… his wife and her lover. The Concerto Italiano CD "O dolorosa gioia" contains a number of Gesualdo's madrigals, from the fifth and sixth books. The CD also includes madrigals by Philippo de Monte, Pomponio Nenna, Giovan Domenico Montella and Luzzasco Luzzaschi. The Concerto Italiano is conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini. (HJ) _more
