Alfred Deller: English, French and Italian Madrigals. Vol.5 (6 CD box set, FLAC)

Composer: Thomas Morley, John Wilbye, Thomas Weelkes, Thomas Vautor, Richard Edwards, et al.
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 6
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Musical Concepts
Size: 1.85 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Disc: 1
01. Now is the month of maying, madrigal for 5 voices
02. In dewe of roses, madrigal for 4 voices
03. Shoot, false love, I care not, madrigal for 5 voices
04. Miraculous love’s wounding, madrigal for 2 voices
05. Harke; Alleluia cheerely, madrigal for 6 voices
06. Arise, get up, my deere, madrigal for 3 voices
07. Leave, alas, this tormenting, madrigal for 5 voices
08. I goe before, my darling, madrigal for 2 voices
09. Say, gentle nymphs, madrigal for 4 voices
10. God morrow, faye ladies of the may, madrigal for 3 voices
11. Aprill is in my mistris face, madrigal for 4 voices
12. Though Philomela lost hir love, madrigal for 3 voices
13. Hard by a cristall fountaine, madrigal for 6 voices
14. Whither awaie so fast?, madrigal for 3 voices
15. I follow, loe, the footing, madrigal for 5 voices
16. O griefe, even on the bud, madrigal for 5 voices
17. When, loe, by breake of morning, madrigal for 2 voices
18. Besides a fountain, madrigal for 4 voices
19. Work(s): Fire! Fire! my heart (No. 14, The First Booke of Balletts to Five Voyces)
20. Thus Saith My Cloris Bright, madrigal
21. Happy, O Happy He, Who Not Affecting, madrigal
22. Ye That Do Live in Pleasures Plenty, madrigal
23. Ah, Cannot Sighs, Nor Tears, Nor Aught Else Move Thee, madrigal
24. Stay, Corydon, Thou Swain, madrigal
25. Draw On, Sweet Night, Best Friend unto Those Cares, madrigal
26. Lady, Your Words Do Spite Me, madrigal
27. As Fair as Morn, as Fresh as May, madrigal
28. Weep, Weep, Mine Eyes, My Heart Can Take No Rest, madrigal

Disc: 2
01. Hoe, who comes here?, madrigal for 4 voices
02. Cease sorrowes now, madrigal for 3 voices
03. Mother, I Will Have A Husband
04. In going to my naked bed
05. To shorten winter’s sadness, madrigal for 5 voices
06. O care wilt thou dispatch mee, madrigal in 2 sections for 5 voices
07. Of All the Birds That I Do Know
08. All Creatures Now Are Merry Minded
09. Sweet nimphe, come to thy lover, madrigal for 2 voices
10. Weep, O mine Eyes (from Madrigals to four voyces)
11. Oft I have vowed how dearly I did love thee, madrigal (No. 20, The Second Set of Madrigals)
12. Strike it up tabor, madrigal for 3 voices
13. Hope of My Heart
14. Sweet Hony Sucking Bees, madrigal
15. Defyled is my name
16. On the plains Fairy traines, madrigal for 5 voices
17. Where Griping Grief the Heart Doth Wound
18. All at once well met faire ladies, madrigal for 5 voices
19. Like as the doleful dove, partsong for 4 voices
20. Work(s): The bitter sweet
21. Flora gave me fairest flowers, madrigal (No. 22, The First Set of English Madrigals)
22. O happy dames
23. Young cupid hath proclaimed, madrigal for 4 voices
24. The Happy Life (‘My friends, the thing I smile to see’), song
25. Thule the period of cosmographie, madrigal in 2 sections for 6 voices

Disc: 3
01. The silver swanne, madrigal for 5 voices
02. Rest, Sweet Nymphes
03. Diaphenia
04. What is our life, madrigal for 5 voices
05. Though Amaryllis dance in green, madrigal for 5 voices (SSATB)
06. Ah, deere heart, madrigal for 5 voices
07. This sweet and merry month of May, madrigal for 4 voices (SATB)
08. Daintie fine bird, madrigal for 5 voices
09. Have I Found Her
10. O Softly Singing Lute
11. Amyntas with his Phyllis Fair
12. Retire, My Troubled Soul
13. Upon a bank of roses
14. Out from the Vale
15. I Smile to See How You Devise, consort song
16. Benedicam Domino
17. Lady, when I behold, madrigal (No. 10, The First Set of English Madrigals)
18. Adieu, sweet Amaryllis, madrigal (No. 12, The First Set of English Madrigals)
19. I always beg, yet never am relieved, madrigal (No. 16, The First Set of English Madrigals)
20. Thus love commands that I in vain complain me, madrigal (No. 17, The First Set of English Madrigals)
21. Oft I have vowed how dearly I did love thee, madrigal (No. 20, The Second Set of Madrigals)
22. Come shepherd, swains, that wont to hear me sing, madrigal (No. 1, The Second Set of Madrigals)
23. The lady Oriana, madrigal
24. Fair Oriana Seeming to Wink at Folly

Disc: 4
01. Allons gay bergères, noël for 4 voices
02. Mignonne, allons voir si la rose, for 4 voices
03. Il est bel et bon, commere, mon mary (Chansons musicales, Paris 1534)
04. Réveillez vous, cueurs endormis, chanson for 4 voices (‘Le chant des oiseaux’), M. 2/67
05. Nymphes des bois/Requiem aeternam/Deploration de la Mort de Jehan Ockeghem, lament for 5 parts
06. Parfons regretz, song for 5 parts
07. La nuict froide et somber (Du Bellay), chanson for 4 voices, B. xii/119 (S. xii/34)
08. Or sus vous dormés trop, chanson for 4 voices (‘L’alouette;’ ‘Le chant de l’alouette’), M. 1/5
09. Ce moys de may, chanson for 4 voices, M. 1/10
10. Escoutez tous gentilz, chanson for 5 voices (‘La bataille de Marignan;’ ‘La Guerre’), M. 6/234
11. Work(s): Au joly boys
12. Mon Coeur se recommande (Marot) (Mon Coeur se rend a toi; Qui laboure champ ou vigne), chanson for 5 voices, B. xiii/15 (S. xiv/15)
13. Lullaby, my sweet little baby, madrigal for 5 voices (SSATB) & viols Listen
14. Now is the month of maying, madrigal for 5
15. When David Heard That Absalom Was Slain, for 5 voices

Disc: 5
01. Altri canti di Marte, madrigal for 6 voices and 2 violins (from Book 8), SV 155
02. Altri canti di Marte, madrigal for 6 voices and 2 violins (from Book 8), SV 155
03. Vago augelletto, che cantando vai, madrigal for 7 voices, 2 violins & continuo (from Book 8), SV 156
04. Mentre vaga Angioletta ogn’anima gentil cantando alletta, madrigal for 2 tenors (from Book 8), SV 157
05. Ninfa che scalza il piede, madrigal in 3 sections for 2 & 3 voices (from Book 8), SV 160: Part 1. Ninfa che scalza il piede e sciolto
06. Ninfa che scalza il piede, madrigal in 3 sections for 2 & 3 voices (from Book 8), SV 160: Part 2. Qui deh meco t’arresta, ove di fior
07. Ninfa che scalza il piede, madrigal in 3 sections for 2 & 3 voices (from Book 8), SV 160: Part 3. Dell’usate mie corde al suon potrai
08. Dolcissimo uscignolo, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 8), SV 161
09. Chi vol haver felice e lieto il core, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 8), SV 162
10. Lamento Della Ninfa, madrigal in 3 sections for 1-4 voices (from Book 8), SV 163: Part 1. Non havea Febio ancora
11. Lamento Della Ninfa, madrigal in 3 sections for 1-4 voices (from Book 8), SV 163: Part 2. Amor, dicea
12. Lamento Della Ninfa, madrigal in 3 sections for 1-4 voices (from Book 8), SV 163: Part 3. Sí tra sdegnosi pianti
13. Perchè t’en fuggi, o Fillide?, madrigal for alto, tenor & bass (from Book 8), SV 164
14. Non partir, ritrosetta, madrigal for 2 altos & bass (from Book 8), SV 165
15. Su, su, su, pastorelli vezzosi, madrigal for 2 sopranos & alto (from Book 8), SV 166
16. Cedan l’antiche tue chiare vittorie, madrigal for 6 voices (Il secondo libro de madrigali a 6 voci)
17. Matona mia cara, villanelle for 4 voices, S. x/93
18. Scaldava il sol di mezzo giorno l’arco, madrigal for 5 voices (Il terzo libro de madrigali a 5 voci)
19. Solo e pensoso i più deserti campi, madrigal for 5 voices (Il nono libro de madrigali a 5 voci)
20. Leggiadre ninfe e pastorelli amanti, madrigal for 6 voices (Il quinto libro de madrigali a 6 voci)
21. Anchor che col partire, madrigal
22. Il bianco e dolce cigno, madrigal for 4 voices, S. 2/18

Disc: 6
01. Incenerite spoglie, avara tomba, madrigal for 5 voices (from Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata), SV 111/1
02. Ditelo, o fiume e voi ch’udiste, madrigal for 5 voices (from Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata), SV 111/2
03. Darà la notte il Sol, madrigal for 5 voices (from Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata), SV 111/3
04. Ma te racoglie, o ninfa, madrigal for 5 voices (from Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata), SV 111/4
05. O chiome d’or, neve gentil del seno, madrigal for 5 voices (from Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata), SV 111/5
06. Dunque amate reliquie, madrigal for 5 voices (from Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata), SV 111/6
07. Zefiro torna e’l bel tempo rimena, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 108
08. Lamento d’Arianna, madrigal in 4 sections for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 107: Lasciatemi morire
09. Lamento d’Arianna, madrigal in 4 sections for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 107: O Teseo, o Teseo mio
10. Lamento d’Arianna, madrigal in 4 sections for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 107: Dove, dov’è la fede
11. Lamento d’Arianna, madrigal in 4 sections for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 107: Ahi che non pur risponde
12. Ohimè il bel viso, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 6), SV 112
13. Baci soavi e cari, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 1), SV 27
14. Ecco mormorar l’onde, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 2), SV 51
15. A un giro sol de’ bell’occhi lucenti, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 4), SV 84
16. Non più guerra pietate, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 4), SV 88
17. Sfogava con le stelle un infermo d’amore, madrigal for 5 voices (from Book 4), SV 78
18. Beltà, poi che t’assenti, madrigal for 5 voices (Book 6), W. 6/16
19. Ecco, morirò dunque, madrigal for 5 voices (Book 4), W. 4/59
20. Moro, lasso, al mio duolo, madrigal for 5 voices (Book 6), W. 6/74

A very loving anthology

I grew up listening these recordings in LP. I always loved these charming performances of selected English, French, and Italian madrigals. At last we have these musical treasures in six Vanguard boxes. The dean of the countertenors, Alfred Deller, didn`t have a beautiful voice, but, as Callas among the sopranos, was instead, a very great singer and performer. Everything he and the ensemble sing is witty or moving. Not all the voices singing in the Deller Ensemble were really fine, but there is an outstanding unity in every piece and in the whole thing. We can listen here to a great variety of early composers: Morley, Wilby, Weelkes, Gibbons, Byrd, Janequin, Josquin Desprez, Lasso, Marenzio, Monteverdi, among others, and each one has his particular musical treatment. I recommend the whole collection (six nice boxes) of these famous performances, which include the ones dedicated to Purcell, Handel, Bach and English Renaissance, Christmas Carols and Motets, Folk Songs and Ballads, and French and Italian Discoveries. And, of course, the price is a bargain.