Reviewed by John Irvine

On 16 October 1590, Don Carlo Gesualdo carried out an act which was to change his life forever and secure him a place in the annals of history: he murdered his adulterous wife and her lover. It would seem that Gesualdo then spent the rest of his life attempting to atone for his sin. He built chapels and paid for prayers to be said; Gesualdo the madrigalist overnight began composing religious music, copious amounts of which have survived. The passions and madness of his life became reflected in his music. His very dramatic style had neither precedent nor antecedent, and Gesualdo stands as an isolated genius of unaccompanied vocal writing. His music has continued to haunt people down through the ages. No-one can remain unmoved by his sad and sombre "Miserere Mei Deus", a setting of Psalm 51, a cry to God to forgive the sinner. Gesualdo also found himself drawn towards the "Tenebrae", the shadows, the texts and prayers used in Catholic mass from Maundy Thursday to Easter morning, texts which convey the betrayal, suffering and death of Christ. A subject which suited Gesualdo's suffering soul. He used his music to illustrate the emotion and anguish of the sacred texts: the mood created changes word by word, rhythm is highly irregular and violently interrupted. The whole tonal colour is quite startlingly different from what one finds in Gesualdo's contemporaries. The performance by the Hilliard Ensemble is exemplary - quite honestly the best recording of "Tenebrae" I've ever heard. Their performance sets the benchmark for other vocal groups to attempt to match. Two discs' worth of music might seem like too much of a good thing, but if you delve into this collection taking Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Miserere separately, you will find it a delight to explore - if you don't find the subject matter too depressing!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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