‘Con un non so che del frizzante’ – with a little something sparkling – is how the poet Giulio Strozzi (1574) described the essence of the madrigal: a short poem, flexible in rhyme and rhythm, beloved of poets for brief, touching scenes of love and longing. In its musical form, though, it came to take on an extraordinary, independent life of its own: the staple of every composer, it became a vehicle for new means of expression, rather like the string quartet in the time of Beethoven.

In ‘The Madrigal Reimagined’, we take this blossoming one stage further, presenting madrigals in diverse settings from solo voice and lute to a full string band, with or without voice, to explore every facet of the madrigal’s transformative journey from gentle part song to one of the dramatic cornerstones of opera. Monteverdi’s powerfully poignant settings nestle with virtuosic ornamental reworkings of older madrigals, instrumental preludes and canzonas to create miniature scenes, framed by short, topical readings from the worlds of music, dance and theatre.