Capçalera madrigals Els Madrigals de Monteverdi VIII. Concerto Italiano

Claudio Monteverdi's madrigals (1567-1643) form an essential body of work in the history of music and represent the culmination of the genre.

The seventh book of madrigals by Claudio Monteverdi, titled Concerto, marks a break with earlier tradition. It leaves behind the fixed five-voice line-up and brings together varied ensembles, above all duets, alongside other vocal genres such as arias, canzonettes, pieces in stile rappresentativo and a ballo. All are scored with basso continuo, with the instruments arranged in two distinct groups differentiated by vocal range.

The book opens with a programmatic prologue that invites the listener to explore the full range of human emotions. The individual voice gains prominence, and the relationship between music and text intensifies to acquire a dramatic dimension, a feature that anticipates the birth of opera and that the cycle explores from its origins.

Leading Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini offers a clear and sensitive reading of this vision, with a refined and expressive interpretation that seeks fidelity to the spirit of Monteverdi. The show is presented at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.