L’ORFEO
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

CD I (52:34)

01 Toccata

Prologo
02 Dal mio Permesso amato

Atto Primo
03 In questo lieto e fortunato giorno
04 Vieni Imeneo
05 Muse, honor di Parnaso
06 Lasciate i monti
07 Rosa del ciel
08 Io non dirò qual sia
09 Lasciate i monti
10 Vieni Imeneo

Atto Secondo
11 Ecco pur ch’a voi ritorno
12 Ahi caso acerbo
13 In un fiorito prato
14 Tu se’ morta
15 Ahi caso acerbo
16 Ma io, ch’in questa lingua
17 Chi ne consola, ahi lassi?
18 Ritornello

CD II [62:18]

Atto Terzo
01 Sinfonia
02 Scorto da te, mio nume
03 Ecco l’atra palude
04 O tu, ch’innanzi mort’a queste rive
05 Sinfonia
06 Possente spirto e formidabil nume
07 Sol tu, nobile dio
08 Ben mi lusinga alquanto
09 Sinfonia
10 Ei dorme, e la mia cetra
11 Sinfonia
12 Nulla impresa per uom si tenta

Atto Quarto
13 Signor, quell’infelice
14 Benché severo ed immutabil fato
15 Pietade oggi ed amore
16 Qual onor di te fia degno
17 Ahi, vista troppo dolce e troppo amara

18 Dove te n’vai, mia vita?
19 Sinfonia
20 È la virtute un raggio

Atto Quinto
21 Questi i campi di Traccia
22 Sinfonia
23 Perch’a lo sdegno ed al dolor
24 Saliam cantand’al Cielo
25 Vanne Orfeo felice a pieno
26 Moresca

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About this CD

As part of their comprehensive survey of the music of Claudio Monteverdi, Claudio Cavina and La Venexiana delivered an exceptional version of L’Orfeo, a reading which had been honed by their trailblazing interpretations of the composer’s madrigals. This highly-esteemed recording of the favola in musica – critics applauded and fêted it in many different countries – subsequently dropped out of the catalogue and Glossa is very pleased to have the opportunity to return it there as part of this year’s 450th anniversary commemorations of the composer’s birth.

The seductive power of Claudio Cavina’s interpretation lay, in part, in his choice of orchestral colours but also in his shaping of the mythical story of the shared love of Orfeo and Euridice, the latter’s death and descent into the Underworld, and the former’s efforts to rescue from there. Into that reading Mirko Guadagnini excelled with nobleness in the title role, and Emanuela Galli brought sensuality to that of Euridice (and fervour to her Musica), whilst other key roles were taken by Salvo Vitale, Marina De Liso and Josè Maria Lo Monaco. In keeping with his habits of the time Claudio Cavina also found a small part for he himself to sing – the third Shepherd in this case – a reminder not just of his own talents and legacy on record as a singer but of La Venexiana’s tight-knit ensemble approach also.

Claudio Cavina’s L’Orfeo has lost nothing of its grandeur in the passing of the years and is recommendable today as when it was first issued in 2006.