John,

 

I think it depends on what kind of program you want to put together.  You could include SSATB/SAATB madrigals incorporating "nature" themes, like "Ecco mormorar l'onde," "Quell'augellin, che canta," or "O primavera, gioventu' dell'anno" (the last two being settings of texts from Guarini's Il pastor fido).  Or, in a more serious vein, you could include some of Monteverdi's great SSATB madrigal cycles, like "Ecco, Silvio, colei ch'in odio hai tanto" or "Ch'io t'ami, e t'ami piu' della mia vita" (also settings of Pastor fido texts), or the Sestina beginning "Incenerite spoglie, avara tomba" (commemorating the death of the singer Caterina Martinelli).  You could also focus on five-voice settings of texts from particular sources, such as Guarini's Il pastor fido (as already noted) or Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata (Monteverdi set to music some very dramatic scenes from this work).  

 

The main body of Monteverdi music for three voices is to be found in his Canzonette a tre voci of 1584 (generally SSA or SAT, but transposable) and his Scherzi musicali (much of it SAB, but with instrumental ritornelli and optional b.c.).  There is virtually no unaccompanied vocal music for SATB.

 

You can find all of the five-voice madrigals listed above, plus many more, on my Web site:

 

www.italianmadrigal.com

 

Regards,

Martin Morell

These are my favorites:

 

Si ch'io vorrei morire

Io mi son giovinetta

Sfogava con le stelle

Ah! dolente partita

Ma se con la pieta

 

Hard to go wrong in Books 4 and 5, honestly.

 

Tom

Another great programmatic idea is to take your listener's on a musical journey through all 9 books. This not only provides a great music history lesson for your singers, but also makes for a variety of sounds and styles for the concert while sticking to Monteverdi Madrigals.

John,

There are so many great ones. I did a program last fall, which was half Monteverdi madrigals and the other half Schu:tz's Musikalische Exequien. Just selecting for the one Monteverdi half was challenging for achieving a good level of variety. Similar to what Joshua has suggested, I tried to choose from a variety of books (though I didn't cover all). The earlier books are in an older style, and in some ways I find those harder than the later ones where Monteverdi was more in his element. You didn't mention whether you will have instrumental accompaniment available--having a pair of violins and continuo would enable your program to have considerably greater variety. Marty is right that the Scherzi Musicali, while not technically madrigals, could and should be considered--wonderful stuff, all with violins and continuo.

Here are some of my favorites (some of which I conducted last fall, others of which I wanted to but ultimately set them aside--can't do everything):

 

Ecco mormorar l'onde ("chestnut" but so great nonetheless)

Io mi son giovinetta

Quel augellin

Si ch'io vorrei morire

A'un giro sol de begl' occhi

La piaga c'ho nel core

Sestina (Lagrime d'amante al sepolcro dell'amata - six mvts.)

Lamento della Ninfa (3 mvts.)

Amor che deggio far

Chiome d'oro

Dolci miei sospiri

Damigella tutta bella

 

Bottom line: have fun!

 

Bob Cowles

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

John,

 

Robert Cowles' list has many excellent choices in it, and I would like to reinforce his recommendation of Sestina (Lagrime d'amante al sepolcro dell' amata) from Book VI.  It is scored for SSATB and the six movements are published as a set by Lawson-Gould (LG 640). They contain a variety of emotions, and in an entire concert of Monteverdi madrigals, take a good chunk of time.  I have performed this work with my Chamber Choir (when it was a mixed choir) and both singers and audience loved it.

 

Best wishes on making your selections.  I'd be interested in seeing your final program.

 

Regards,

Richard Householder,

University of Windsor

 

All of the above are great!  Lasciatemi morire  is a favorite of mine.