Musiche Concertate 1619 (madrigals of the third book)

Giovanni Valentini from Venice is regarded as a pupil of Giovanni Gabrieli, who imparted more than just the basic tools of the musical trade to well known composers. In 1619 Valentini's Musiche concertate were published as his third book of madrigals, and already by 1626, when he was appointed court music director in Vienna (a post held by him until his death), he had achieved more than just a personal career goal. As Lully later defined the French national style, so too Valentini's manner was identified with the imperial court style and occasionally inspired important imitators. Valentini set all sorts of different texts. The multivalent term »concertate« here refers to the solo capability of all those involved as well as to the equal participation of the singers and instrumentalists. Delight in experiment in no way lacking the power for synthesis stamps each and every composition of his Musiche concertate. The modern historiography of music long overlooked their quality and the aesthetic rank of the rest of Valentini's extant music as well as its historical significance. It is only recently that we have become aware of this deficit, and the present recording does its good part to close this gap in our knowledge.