CARLO GESUALDO DA VENOSA (1566-1613)
Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia (1611)

with spiritual madrigals by Giovanni de Macque, Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Luca Marenzio and Pietro Vinci

CD I: FERIA QUINTA

In I. Nocturno
01 In monte Oliveti
02 Tristis est anima mea
03 Ecce vidimus eum

Madrigale spirituale
04 Giovanni de Macque: I’ vo piangendo i miei passati tempi
(Terzo Libro a cinque voci, 1597)

In II. Nocturno
05 Amicus meus osculi
06 Iudas mercator pessimus
07 Unus ex discipulis meis

Madrigale spirituale
08 Luzzasco Luzzaschi: S’homai d’ogni su’ errore
(Quarto Libro, 1594)

In III. Nocturno
09 Eram quasi agnus innocens
10 Una hora non potuistis
11 Seniores populi consilium

Psalmus 30
12 In te Domine speravi
(Salmi delle compiete, Naples, 1594)

CD II: FERIA SEXTA

In I. Nocturno
01 Omnes amici mei
02 Velum templi scissum est
03 Vinea mea electa

Madrigale spirituale
04 Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Quivi sospiri, pianti e alti guai
(Secondo Libro, 1576)

In II. Nocturno
05 Tamquam ad latronem
06 Tenebrae factae sunt
07 Animam meam dilectam

Madrigale spirituale
08 Luca Marenzio: È questo il legno che del sacro sangue
(Madrigali spiritali, Libro primo, 1584)

In III. Nocturno
09 Traditerunt me in manus
10 Iesum tradidit impius
11 Caligaverunt oculi mei

Canticum Zachariae
12 Benedictus

CD III: SABBATO SANCTO

In I. Nocturno
01 Sicut ovis ad occisionem
02 Hyerusalem luge
03 Plange quasi virgo

Madrigale spirituale
04 Sparge la morte al mio Signor nel viso
(Madrigali a cinque voci, Libro quarto, 1596)

In II. Nocturno
05 Recessit pastor noster
06 O vos omnes
07 Ecce quomodo moritur iustus

Madrigale spirituale
08 Pietro Vinci: Le braccia aprendo in croce
(Quattordeci Sonetti spirituali, a cinque voci, 1580)

In III. Nocturno
09 Astiterunt reges terrae
10 Aestimatus sum
11 Sepulto Domino

Psalmus 50
12 Miserere mei, Deus

Motectum
13 Ne reminiscaris, Domine
(Stefano Felis, Liber secundus motectorum, 1585)

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About this CD

The Responsoria by Carlo Gesualdo, published in 1611, represent a remarkable emotional outpouring in sacred repertory from a composer who was living out his final years amidst melancholy thoughts and an increasingly precarious state of health. It was also significant that these Holy Week pieces should appear in the same year as the complex works in the Sixth Book of Madrigals: an association which La Compagnia del Madrigale are keen to make with their new recording of the Responsoria in a striking new release from Glossa. Having already responded to the stylistic subjectiveness of the madrigals the highly-skilled a cappella vocal ensemble (which includes singers of the calibre and experience of Giuseppe Maletto, Daniele Carnovich or Rossana Bertini) turns its attention to subject matter covering torment, suffering, blood and death.

Over three CDs Gesualdo’s creative musical response to the Passion of Christ is interspersed with spiritual madrigals from some of his best-known contemporaries (Luzzaschi, Marenzio, de Macque and Vinci), whose religious texts further underline the madrigalesque nature of the Responsoria. Also included are two comparative rarities from Gesualdo’s sacred output, In te Domine speravi and Ne reminiscaris, Domine.

Once again, Marco Bizzarini supplies a fascinating booklet essay which places Gesualdo’s music in a realistic rather than “hysterical” context, buttressing the singers’ complete control of the emotional charge of this late masterpiece from the Prince of Venosa.