Alessandro Orologio was a late-Renaissance composer and instrumentalist primarily remembered for his modest collections of stylistically conservative, well-crafted madrigal cycles and canzonettes (light secular vocal settings). Orologio’s first book of Canzonettes with Intrada (brief instrumental pieces usually performed as entrances or introductions) is impressively ordered, with each of the seven groups of Canzone strategically nestled between the Intrada. The five vocalists here, collectively known as Il Terzo Suono (The Third Party Sound), deliver very expressive performances that amply convey the ecstasy–though more often the agony–of Love (the subject of all of the texts).
Particularly enjoyable are the moments when Orologio plays Love’s varying temperaments off one another, such as when he follows the mournful “Donna leggiadr’e bella” (Fair, graceful Lady) with a light-hearted solo viola da gamba and hurdy-gurdy instrumental. As you might expect of a renowned trumpet player, Orologio often scores plenty of winds, brass, and percussion in the Intrada–the second, fifth, and sixth of which are especially rousing.
The first line you read in the accompanying CD booklet is, “THIS IS AN AUDIOPHILE RECORDING”–and it’s not an exaggeration. The sound is just beautiful, with a wide dynamic range and a remarkably convincing natural acoustic balance between the vocal and instrumental ensembles. The director of this project, Gian Paolo Fagotto, provides extensive notes that feature an often amusing “Listening Guide” that includes many fascinating anecdotes. If you’re looking for an expertly performed, well-conceived, and highly entertaining program of lighter Italian Renaissance fare, it simply doesn’t get better than this.
