Suave Voces / The Europe of Madrigal

1. Claudio Monteverdi: Ecco mormorar l’onde
2. John Wilbye: Lady, when I behold the roses sprouting
3. Heinrich Schütz: Ride the primavera
4. Giaches de Wert: Tirsi Morir Volea
5. Thomas Morley: Philis, I fain would die now
6. Leonard Lechner: O Lieb, wie suss and bitter
7. Luca Marenzio: Ahi dispietata morte, ahi crudel vita
8. John Dowland: Would my conceit that first enforced my woe
9. Thomas Weelkes: O care, thou wilt despatch me
10. Giulio Caccini: Amarilli mia bella
11. John Wilbye: Farewell, sweet Amaryllis
12. Johann Hermann Schein: O Amarilli zart
13. (Unknown): Vier Hirtinnen gleich jung, gleich beautiful
14. (Unknown): Cara Germania mia, quanto ti peggio
Ensemble Voces Suaves
The madrigal, a polyphonic genre that is essentially vocal, participated in the birth of opera and baroque music. Very present and popular in Italy - around Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), a true master of the genre, German composers who came to study there, such as Leonhard Lechner (1553-1606) or Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), adopted it and published madrigals in Germany upon their return. England was also seduced by the madrigal, initially by adapting Italian works into English in order to be sung by the greatest number, then by composing madrigals in English. Thomas Morley (ca.1557-1602) and John Dowland (1563-1626) is among the finest representatives of these British composers who were seduced by the genre. This afternoon, in the great abbey church of Ambronay, the eight singers of the Ensemble Voces Suaves share the passion of madrigal, to which they devote themselves, in a program showing its evolutions over the course of its migrations in Germany and England. They perform the oldest madrigals a cappella and the most recent ones with the accompaniment of the lutenist Ori Harmelin.

[@dbadagna]

Ensemble is based in Basel, Switzerland
Ambronay, France is about 100 km west of Geneva, Switzerland

[@juliomateus714]

Stunning anthology of some of the most beautiful madrigals from the late Renaissance and early Baroque. Voces Suaves shine again with their talent, taste and musicianship. Bravo!

[@juliomateus714]

00:00 1. Claudio Monteverdi: Ecco mormorar l’onde
04:33 2. John Wilbye: Lady, when I behold the roses sprouting
07:45 3. Heinrich Schütz: Ride the primavera
11:05 4. Giaches de Wert: Tirsi Morir Volea
15:00 5. Thomas Morley: Philis, I fain would die now
20:10 Lute solo
23:50 6. Leonhard Lechner: O Lieb, wie suss and bitter
26:30 7. Luca Marenzio: Ahi dispietata morte, ahi crudel vita
28:40 8. John Dowland: Would my conceit that first enforced my woe
32:45 9. Thomas Weelkes: O care, thou wilt despatch me
37:05 Lute solo
40:25 10. Giulio Caccini: Amarilli mia bella
42:52 11. John Wilbye: Adieu, sweet Amaryllis
45:45 12. Johann Hermann Schein: O Amarilli zart
50:25 13. (Unknown): Vier Hirtinnen gleich jung, gleich schön
55:30 14. (Unknown): Cara Germania mia, quanto ti peggio
59:15. Encore

[@dbadagna]

The performance would have been even better without the use of anachronistic wide vibrato on virtually all long notes from a handful of the singers, which doesn't ring true for this repertoire.