Ahi, com'a un vago sol cortese giro, madrigal for 5 voices & continuo (from Book 5), SV 101

• Date: ca. 1605
• Composer: Claudio Monteverdi
• Period: Baroque (1600-1749)

Review

The transformation of musical structure that Monteverdi had been working toward for years is highlighted instrumentally in the last six madrigals of Book 5. Instrumental basso continuo, optional in the rest of the book, is obligatto in these pieces. In the past, at least as far back as Dufay, it was already common to assign several or all of the parts of a composition to instruments, but how or if this was carried out remained up to the performers. The composer indicated nothing, only assumed, within the framework of the performance practice he knew, that certain choices might be made. Monteverdi now firmly asserts the structural novelty in his music by his demand for keyboard. Many regard these last six madrigals as the culmination of Monteverdi's music to that point. All of the madrigals in Book 5 transgress the normal bounds of the madrigal, but these in particular push on furthest toward the Baroque cantata, which would become the proper cultural successor to the madrigal.

Ahi, com'a un vago is the first of the six, and perhaps the best. It is built on alternations between soli or duet and choral refrains for various numbers of voices, which are the structural pillars of the piece. It opens with a tenor duet, the voices alternate between homophony and loosely canonic phrases in a temporally fluid and rhythmically flexible style, decorated with ornaments at every appropriate point. Rather than reflecting an intimately expressive lyricism, Ahi, com'a seems a sheer delectation of music; the notes and beautiful vocal tones are left to melt on the palate, rich but highly civil. Then we get what will be the refrain: a trio setting of the line "Ah, che piaga...." We find almost all of the music's pathos in the poignant music of these choral refrains. Monteverdi repeats his refrain four times throughout the piece, each time varying the texture while leaving the music essentially the same. The minor changes he does make, such as repetition of different elements, and transpositions, the use of more voices, are deftly aimed toward the beautifully restrained climax of the final statement. ~ Donato Mancini, Rovi

Albums with Complete Performances of the Work

Title	Date
Monteverdi, Ferrari and Tiorba
Monteverdi: Addio Florida Bella
Monteverdi: Addio Florida Bella
Monteverdi: Flaming heart	2006
Monteverdi: Madrigals	2001
Monteverdi: Quinto Libro dei Madrigali	2007

Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work

Title	Date
The Golden Age of Madrigal

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