Performers: Rossana Bertini (soprano), Nadia Ragni (soprano), Emanuela Galli (soprano), Claudio Cavina (countertenor), Sandro Naglia (tenor), Giuseppe Maletto (tenor), Daniele Carnovich (bass), Loredana Gintoli (harp), Franco Pavan (lute), Gabriele Palomba (lute), Rodney Prada (viol), Fabio Bonizzoni (harpsichord)
Playing time: 69'
Recording date: February 1999 (Roletto)
Luzzasco Luzzaschi (c.1545-1607) was based in Ferrara, and was one of the earlier composers to develop the new monody. He was especially known for his virtuoso style of writing upper lines, as performed by the "three ladies" of Ferrara for three sopranos and keyboard accompaniment. However, much of this work was not formally published, and so the present madrigal collection consists primarily of music for more ordinary ensembles. It does continue to adopt the sort of spontaneity which Luzzaschi sought to achieve.
Luzzaschi was perhaps best-known as an organist, although few of his keyboard works survive. He was one of the early players on the chromatic-enharmonic archicembalo, and that sort of microtonality informs his vocal works as well, leading almost naturally to the style of Gesualdo.
In the present program, tracks #5, 12, 19, 25 are alternate versions, while tracks #24, 26 are from the 6th book and track #27 is from the 7th book.
Recordings devoted primarily to Luzzaschi's "three soprano" music:
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Todd M. McComb