Silenzio mio

The Collegium Vocale Gent and its founder Philippe Herreweghe continue their recordings of works by Carlo Gesualdo with "Silenzio Mio", the fourth book of madrigals from 1596. Gesualdo, who is considered one of the most eccentric but also most creative composers of the late 16th and early 17th century, experiments here with new melodic and harmonic effects that enchanted listeners of that time. Poems by Alessandro Guarini and various anonymous authors are set to music for these innovations, all aimed at the expression of personal feelings, in particular a "pathos" that was new on the literary stage. This fourth book is a true historical testimony to the artistic turning point that took place at the court of Ferrara at the beginning of the 17th century and is part of the ongoing recording project of the Collegium Vocale, which has been praised by critics for its "homogeneity, contrapuntal transparency and clarity, which stands out even in the saddest pieces" (Diapason).