Review: Gesualdo Complete Madrigals on Naxos 

At this point...(actually at a point some years ago)...Naxos must be considered one of the “major labels”, despite the modest cost of the discs. Their catalog should be the envy of any recording label on the planet.

“I had a friend who was a dominatrix in her spare time” = not something I‘d have thought to hear on this channel, but hey, you keep surprising us! Lots of love :)

Gesualdo is an absolute, one-of-a-kind genius. He's one of my favorite composers since as a young man I was emotionally blinded by the Tenebrae Responsoria sung by the Hilliard Ensemble on ECM (what a perfect set!).

Dominatrix music? How, with so few clearly stated dominants? :) (Gesualdo is awesome in every way, thank you for alerting me for the existence of that box!)

One of the best things I ever did as a composer/arranger was to copy out some Gesualdo madrigals by hand. The lines and voice leading are immaculate, but leads to wild places. They're perfect both technically and emotionally. And the Naxos recordings are excellent at conveying both sides, whatever reviewers meaninglessly complain about how slow they are.

Great review of a great set. Delitiae Musicae recorded a splendid Monteverdi cycle also, which has serious competition by Le Nuove Musiche on Brilliant Classics. The prices are so low that you can buy all three sets. :-)

splendid, once again. thank you so much, David.

Interesting and beautiful. I’m familiar with Gesualdo through his Tenebrae Responses for Holy Saturday done by the Tallis Scholars. Judging by the excerpt, there are some stylistic similarities. Thank you for this. I’ll have to explore further.

Thanks for this review, will definitely buy this box. I also have the Monteverdi complete madrigali libri from Brilliant Classics, super happy with that as well.

I think im gonna try it, sounds lovely!

Thank you for this! Hope there will be a Machaut talk in the near future. His Le Jugement du roi de Navarre is perfect for pandemic times.

Wait! Did they add a tam-tam into these performances? Ha! But this is a great set. Thanks for your video!

I wish Berio was still around to write that pastiche tam-tam concerto for you. Just don't team up with John Williams. Seriously, good job.

Extraordinary the daring harmonic complexity in some of these pieces. Monteverdi definitely please (Madrigals and Vespers of 1610 perhaps?); some Striggio and Tallis (the remarkable Spem in alium, Lamentations of Jeremiah?). Perhaps some Hesperion XX and Begoña Olavide (Mudejar)? Anyway looking forward to the next instalment!

Is there a Monteverdi Longhini on Naxos talk in the works?

Whips and Chains...Now your talking 👍