"Love" and "death" in the madrigals of Carlo Gesualdo

a study on the development of music and text writing

Authors

Keywords:

Renaissance, Italian madrigal, Carlo Gesualdo, Music and text

Abstract

Gesualdo’s compositional writing evolves throughout his six books of madrigals. In the first period, Gesualdo used the most common procedures, such as the contrast between counterpoint and homophony. In the following periods, he began to look for more sophisticated musical elements in order to explore different sounds. Through this process, the composer vigorously emphasized words and, thus, the narrative of the poems, reaching for uncommon harmonic resultants and false melodic relations. The analysis of these words in procedures by Gesualdo reveals his deepening of expressivity and a maturing style.

Author Biographies

  • Rafael Luís Garbuio, Universidade Estadual Campinas

    Rafael Garbuio has a doctorate from the State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, where he developed his research about the work of Carlo Gesualdo, under the guidance of Professor Carlos Fiorini. He graduated in classical guitar at Conservatório Municipal de Pirassununga "Cacilda Becker" in 2001 and has a bachelor's degree in Conducting and a master's degree from Universidade Estadual de Campinas. He is a permanent member of the research group REGENCE - ART AND TECHNICS at UNICAMP and the vocal group Camerata Anima Antiqua, specialized in Renaissance repertoire.

  • Carlos Fernando Fiorini, Universidade Estadual Campinas

    Carlos Fiorini is Doctor in Music (Conducting), Master in Arts (Music). He graduated in Conducting and Composition at UNICAMP - Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Since 1998 he is a professor of Choral and Orchestral Conducting at the Music Department of UNICAMP. From 2005 to 2008 he was assistant and main conductor of the Campinas Symphony Orchestra. In 1996 he founded the Camerata Antiqua Anima, a vocal ensemble dedicated to Renaissance music, of which he is still Conductor and Artistic Director. He created in 2009, at the Institute of Arts at UNICAMP, a Research Group of choral conducting and orchestral conducting with the name "Regency - Art and Technique", which includes the Choir of the Department of Music and the Camerata Antiqua Anima.

References

MISURACA, P. (2000). Carlo Gesualdo, Principe di Venosa. Palermo: L’Epos.

WATKINS, G. (1991). Gesualdo: The Man and His Music. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

IUDICA, G. (1993). Il Principe dei musici. Palermo: Sellerio editore.

Referências de partituras e gravações

GESUALDO, C (2010). Don Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), The Complete Madrigals, 6 volumes. The Kassiopeia Quintet. Netherlands: GLO 5241, Globe Records.

WEISMANN, W. WATKINS, G. (1980). Gesualdo di Venosa – Madrigale für Fünf Stimmen – Erste Buch. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik.

WEISMANN, W. WATKINS, G. (1988). Gesualdo di Venosa – Madrigale für Fünf Stimmen – Zweites Buch. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik.

WEISMANN, W. WATKINS, G. (1980). Gesualdo di Venosa – Madrigale für Fünf Stimmen – Drittes Buch. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik.

WEISMANN, W. WATKINS, G. (1980). Gesualdo di Venosa – Madrigale für Fünf Stimmen – Viertes Buch. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik.

WEISMANN, W. WATKINS, G. (1980). Gesualdo di Venosa – Madrigale für Fünf Stimmen – Fünftes Buch. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik.

WEISMANN, W. WATKINS, G. (1982). Gesualdo di Venosa – Madrigale für Fünf Stimmen – Sechstes Buch. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik.

Published

2015-11-10

Issue

Section

Articles in Portuguese/Spanish

How to Cite

“"Love" and ‘death’ in the Madrigals of Carlo Gesualdo: a Study on the Development of Music and Text Writing”. 2015. Per Musi, no. 32 (November): 1-30. https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/permusi/article/view/38464.

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