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Monteverdi String Band

The Madrigal Reimagined

A celebration of the Italian madrigal in all its forms

Hannah Ely (soprano) and Toby Carr (lute)
The Madrigal Reimagined
‘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.

The Madrigal Reimagined CD (supported by Continuo Foundation) will be available to purchase after the concert.


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  • festival British Italian Society
  • date Mon 23 September 2024
  • location University Women's Club, London
  • time 7:00pm
  • ticket £30
  • 1 other performance

Full Event Details

‘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.

The Madrigal Reimagined CD (supported by Continuo Foundation) will be available to purchase after the concert.

Venue Details & Map

Location

University Women's Club, London
2 Audley Square, London W1

Other performances

In addition to the performance listed above, this concert will also be performed as follows:

Show past performances of this programme

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