I Solisti di Milano
Polifonia Consort
Angelo Ephrikian director

Of his rich and prolific legacy, Claudio Monteverdi, born in Cremona in 1567, is particularly
celebrated for his innovations; one of the most influential figures of 16th- and 17th-century
music, he extended the expressive possibilities of his craft in an inventive blend of the old
and new. This 3-disc set is a superb overview of his long and varied career, touching on each
of the genres that he transformed – choral music, the madrigal, secular song and opera.

Monteverdi’s commitment to effective text expression is apparent throughout the
collection, where it is fully explored in enduring performances led by Angelo Ephrikian. The
secular songs and madrigals – drawn primarily from the Quarto scherzo delle ariose vaghezze
of 1624, Scherzi musicali of 1632 and the posthumously published Ninth Book of Madrigals –
reveal the composer’s experimentation with melody, dissonance and form in response to
his texts. His sensitivity to drama and emotion is particularly evident in Lamento d’Arianna,
which has been renowned for its ability to move audiences. Even the choral works are
permeated by a sense of drama; the Mass for four voices and Salve Regina No.2, for example,
carry all the hallmarks and expressive inflections of his secular madrigals.

From his years as a court composer to his time as maestro di cappella of San Marco in
Venice, Monteverdi’s career was defined by his revolutionary approach to musical
expression. This 3-disc collection is an engaging exploration of some of his most significant
developments, and a fitting tribute to a composer who has been described as the ‘creator
of modern music’.