Cheap Monteverdi: Complete Duets 1 / Curtis, Il Complesso Barocco (Music) (Claudio Monteverdi, Alan Curtis, Il Complesso Barocco) Price

Here is a brilliant example of the explosion of early music in Italy in recent years. American musicologist Alan Curtis and his Italian singers take risks galore: stretching the tempo here, making a sudden crescendo or decrescendo there--and they're not afraid to play the lighthearted pieces as broad comedy. All told, there's an excitement and daring in these performances you just don't hear from nonnative groups like the Consort of Musicke, however skilled they may be. This is not to romanticize Italianness: singing in one's native language lets a singer take risks with tempo, dynamics, and rhetoric while keeping a sense of where the boundaries of taste lie. (Imagine Italians trying that in Morley or Purcell.) There are certainly moments in this performance that some listeners will find overdone, but the performances are undeniably lively. There's no point in mentioning a favorite duet or singer--they're all fascinating. Check them out for yourself--and follow the text to really appreciate what they've achieved. --Matthew Westphal

ARTIST:	Claudio Monteverdi, Alan Curtis, Il Complesso Barocco
CATEGORY:	Music
MANUFACTURER:	EMI Int'l
FEATURES:	Import
TYPE:	Madrigal, Classical, Choral, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical Music
MEDIA:	Audio CD
TRACKS:	Zefiro torna, Io son pur vezzosetta, Vorrei baciarti, O sia tranquillo il mare, Chiome d'oro, Non vedro mai le stelle, Mentre vaga Angioletta, Non e di gentil core, Tornate, o cari baci, Ohime, dov'e il mio ben, Bel pastor (Aminta e Clori), Se'l vostro cor, madonna, O viva fiamma, Ecco vicine, o bella tigre, l'ore, O come sei gentile, Soave Libertate
# OF MEDIA:	1
UPC:	724354529320