Brilliant Classics: 93369

India: Secular vocal music

Behind the somewhat exotic name of Sigismondo D’India a musician of enormous stature is hidden. In the first quarter of the seventeenth century only the great Monteverdi was his match. Especially the secular vocal music of this very prolific Italian composer is second only to the works by his fellow countryman. In spite of many publications during his life time D’India has not (yet) been rediscovered and become a household name in historically informed performances. An omission which urgently needs correcting. For instance with this set of three CD’s. D’India’s vocal music deals with the usual subjects: love –the pleasures and pain it causes – mythology… Sometimes written in an unusual form, such as the unique duets over a basso continuo (thorough bass) which on several occasions actually are dialogues. This set combines a selection of varied works for one, two and five voices with instrumental accompaniment. They show the composer’s exceptional talent to express the sentiments of a text in, at times even daring, music. At the time he must have had access to excellent virtuoso singers for this music demands quite a lot from the performers. Sample D’India’s beautiful music and wonder why it has not been issued before. The mainly Italian musicians leave no room for doubts about the composer’s merits. There is more to early Italian Baroque than Monteverdi!