Era: Baroque
Year: 1610 - 1635
Form: Air de cour
Score: 80
Thoughts: Ok court music. Nothing to write home about. But glad I took a moment to listen to this. It's not bad either and was a key cultural experience.
Era: Baroque
Year: 1607
Form: Opera
Score: 86
Thoughts: Alright - so this is the famously credit as first ever opera (still regularly performed... I suppose there were others). I also suppose for that it should have some kind of high rating, but I'm not buying. It has a pretty good Overture and overall is ok. I'm not really sold on it as being much better than just good. Great opera I'm saving for Mozart and Wagner. I'm glad I took the chance to listen to it in the full as opposed to the overture and an aria or two, but I probably won't revisit, even if for it's time it's amazing.
I have no idea what I'm talking about... I guess I struggle with 2 hours of opera that doesn't have a story/performance that I find incredibly intriguing, but I just started watching this live and like most classical music, it's actually MUCH better live. Given it's dynamics and orchestration... I'm having second thoughts.
Era: Baroque
Year: 1602
Form: Monody/Aria/Madrigal
Score: 80
Thoughts: It was pretty good and great for a modern ear. Basically it's a lute/guitar a female vocals. Apparently all dealing with death (see stuff below). I wasn't really moved by any of it musically, emotionally, or conceptually, but it was a pleasant listen.
From Wikipedia:
Quote:
Le nuove musiche ("The New Musics") is a collection of monodies and songs for solo voice and basso continuo by the composer Giulio Caccini, published in Florence in July 1602. It is one of the earliest and most significant examples of music written in the early baroque style of the seconda pratica. It contains 12 madrigals and 10 arias.
Quote:
Google Translate to English
I am leaving and I feel like leaving
to suffer my rire,
that I start from her
that is my life,
if she rejoices,
when my heart languishes.
O incredible and infinite hardness,
of soul that its core
can be dead and not feel pain,
well it pierces me with love
my bitter bit my bitter pain,
but the more I grieve, the pain she feels.
original text
Amor io parto e sento nel partire
al penar al mio rire,
ch'io parto da colei
ch'e la mia vita,
se ben ella gioisce,
quand'il mio cor languisce.
O durezza incredibil' e infinita,
d'anima che'l suo core
puo restar morto e non sentir dolore,
ben mi trafigge amore
l'aspra mia pen' il mio dolor pungente,
ma piu mi duol, il duol ch'ella non sente.
Era: Baroque
Year: 1602
Form: Monody/Aria/Madrigal
Score: 80
Thoughts: It was pretty good and great for a modern ear. Basically it's a lute/guitar a female vocals. Apparently all dealing with death (see stuff below). I wasn't really moved by any of it musically, emotionally, or conceptually, but it was a pleasant listen.
From Wikipedia:
Quote:
Le nuove musiche ("The New Musics") is a collection of monodies and songs for solo voice and basso continuo by the composer Giulio Caccini, published in Florence in July 1602. It is one of the earliest and most significant examples of music written in the early baroque style of the seconda pratica. It contains 12 madrigals and 10 arias.
Quote:
Google Translate to English
I am leaving and I feel like leaving
to suffer my rire,
that I start from her
that is my life,
if she rejoices,
when my heart languishes.
O incredible and infinite hardness,
of soul that its core
can be dead and not feel pain,
well it pierces me with love
my bitter bit my bitter pain,
but the more I grieve, the pain she feels.
original text
Amor io parto e sento nel partire
al penar al mio rire,
ch'io parto da colei
ch'e la mia vita,
se ben ella gioisce,
quand'il mio cor languisce.
O durezza incredibil' e infinita,
d'anima che'l suo core
puo restar morto e non sentir dolore,
ben mi trafigge amore
l'aspra mia pen' il mio dolor pungente,
ma piu mi duol, il duol ch'ella non sente.
Era: Baroque
Year: 1597 (for L'Amfiparnaso)
Form: Madrigal Comedy or Commedia Harmonica (precursor to Opera)
Score: 83
Thoughts: This was a bit more musically "common" for me as compared to Opera. "song structures" etc are "common". It's a lively arrangement and enjoyable, but neither did it really move me in anyway. Perhaps if I saw it live, that'd be different (like any musical experience).
Synopsis from Wikipedia:
Quote:
Synopsis
Act 1
Scene 1
Pantalone is smitten by the charms of the courtesan Hortensia, but the ungrateful woman is not interested in the old man's affections.
Scene 2
Lelio is doubtful about the feelings of his beloved Nisa, and concludes from her present of a flower that there is little love in her for him.
Scene 3
Pantalone promises his daughter Isabella to doctor Gratiano, because he likes the clumsy fellow, who answers badly and listens even worse.
Act 2
Scene 1
Because he believes that his beloved Isabella is in love with Captain Cardone, in utter jealousy Lucio announces to jump in the abyss.
Scene 2
Cardone quarrels with Zane, because after many hints he won't understand him, but he rather confuses him so that his answers are strange. Nevertheless, eventually he knocks on Isabella's door.
Scene 3
Isabella pretends to be in love with the Spanish Captain, so that when she dies she would more hurt his insatiable desires.
Scene 4
As soon as the Captain is gone Isabella bursts out lamenting for Lucio. She draws courageously a dagger to depart from life.
Scene 5
Frulla persuades Isabella not to thrust the dagger by announcing her that her lover Lucio is still alive.
Act 3
Scene 1
As the wedding contract between Pantalone and Gratiano has been agreed now, they joyfully start planning the festivities.
Scene 2
With a melting and enamoured voice the Doctor sings a gracious madrigal under the balcony of his lovely bride.
Scene 3
Francatrippa goes to the Jews to pawn a hangmat. He knocks at the door and a noise is heard of many voices in unspeakable languages.
Scene 4
From a distance the faithful lovers meet rejoicing in their presence, pledging to be true till death.
Scene 5
Everybody is now content and happy. Isabella and Lucio are wed and a great exchange of valuable gifts is displayed.
Era: Baroque
Year: 1590
Form: Madrigal
Score: 80
Thoughts: I suppose the positive I can say about this and other vocal music of this style is the creativity of just vocals... bird songs, flowing rivers... it's impressive. And just the diction of this style of singing and the sorts. If you are interested in sounds the human mouth can make, this and a few other albums are impressive in that regard. If you care about anything else in music... this is a fairly dry run... I mean it's not devoid of "decent" music and probably is better that anything I hear on teenie-bopper radio, but still not something I'd revel in.
This was a pretty nice one with less percussive singing, but a bit nonetheless (same director)... it also is missing in the mix the continuo basso, but the recordings on the album are well balanced.
Well, that concludes my Baroque Music review. Below are the albums I found the most mentally intriguing, emotionally captivating, or just plain musically amazing. There may be better recordings for some of these works, but I'm happy with most of them.
Thanks for a wonderful, horizon expanding musical journey!
You are most welcome. It's been quite the trip and journey of "new" experiences through the history of music at 100k feet. Glad it was an enjoyable experience for you!
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RoundTheBend
Fischman
AfterHours
