Caccini: Le Nuove Musiche

Giulio Caccini:
Le Nuove Musiche, Firenze 1601 – Nuove Musiche e nuova maniera di scriverle Firenze 1614
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (EMI) « SCB – Documenta » 1C 065 1695001 [LP]
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi « SCB – Documenta » GD 77164 [CD]
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi « Splendeurs » 74321 93544-2 / GD77164 [Sleeve / CD]
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 82867 70038 [CD]

Contents:

  1. Amor ch'attendi
  2. Amor, io parto
  3. Tu ch'hai le penne
  4. Non ha'l ciel
  5. Alme luci beate
  6. Vedrò 'l mio sol
  7. Tutto 'l di piango
  8. Dolcissimo sospiro
  9. Dalla porta d'oriente
  10. Amarilli mia bella
  11. Movetevi à pietà
  12. Belle rose porporine
  13. Queste lagrim' amare
  14. Torna, deh torna
  15. Con le luci d'un bel ciglio

Performers: Montserrat Figueras (voice), Hopkinson Smith (lute, guitar), Robert Clancy (guitar, chitarrone), Jordi Savall (viol), Xenia Schindler (harp)

Playing time: 51'

Recording site and date:
Kirche Amsoldingen, Kanton Bern, Switzerland [01/1983]
rel.: 1984 [LP], 1990 [CD]

Excerpts:
[1], [4]-[5] Alia Vox AV 9811 [CD] La Barcha D'Amore. 1563-1685

Giulio Caccini (c.1550-1618) was born in Rome, and soon took up an important musical post in Florence under the Medicis. He was widely famous, and apparently a very controversial figure, having boasted of inventing the solo chordally-accompanied song.

His two collections entited Nuove Musiche of 1602 & 1614 are certainly important to this development, and Caccini was one of a handful of composers to first work in this new style. However, it had become common practice to perform older madrigals in this way via intabulations, so any notion of invention is hazy at best. Nonetheless, Caccini's detailed ornaments given to the printed vocal part are a landmark in composition.

Other recordings:

Caccini: Nuove Musiche
Johanette Zomer / Fred Jacobs
Channel Classics 21305
Il Giardino di Giulio Caccini
Marco Horvat, et al.
Alpha 043
Caccini: Madrigali, Arie e Canzoni
Academia Monteverdi - Hans Ludwing Hirsch
Arts 47203
Caccini: Complete Madrigals & Arias, Vol. 1
Le Nuove Musiche
Barazzoni / Volta
Arion 268190 (2 CDs)
Caccini: Complete Madrigals & Arias, Vol. 2
Nuove Musiche e Nuova Maniera de Scriverle
Barazzoni / Volta
Arion 268216 (2 CDs)
Caccini: Amor che fai?
Madrigali e Arie, 1601 & 1614
Stephan Van Dyck, Christina Pluhar, et al.
Musica Ficta 8003

A few more general collections:

Nuove musiche
Rolf Lislevand, Arianna Savall, et al.
ECM "New Series" 476 3049
Le Nuove Musiche
Caccini, Frescobaldi, Kapsberger, Monteverdi, Peri
Ensemble Balletto Terzo
Marc Aurel Edition 981
I'vo piangendo
Music from 17th Century Italy
Akantus Ensemble
Alice Musik 017
Udite Amanti
Italian Baroque Lute Songs
Jill Feldman / Nigel North
Linn 005
Lagrime Mie
The Monodic Lute Song in 17th-century Italy
Jennifer Lane / Timothy Burris
PGM Records 103
Canti amorosi
Nigel Rogers et al.
DG Archiv 437 075
Pianger di Dolcezza
Caccini, D'India, et al.
Jill Feldman / Galasso / Schröder
Stradivarius 33606

A recording illustrating somewhat earlier Florentine repertory:

La Pellegrina
Music for the Wedding of Ferdinando de' Medici and Christine de Lorraine, Princess of France (Florence 1589)
Huelgas Ensemble - Paul Van Nevel
Sony Vivarte 63362 (2 CDs)

And recordings devoted to related contemporaries:

Il Zazzerino - Music of Jacopo Peri
Hargis / O'Dette / Lawrence-King / Perl
Harmonia Mundi USA 907234
Belli: Il Nuovo Stile
Laurens / Le Poème Harmonique - Vincent Dumestre
Alpha 002

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Todd M. McComb