# 'Swooping'/'Drooping' in Singing of Italian Madrigals



## cheregi (Jul 16, 2020)

I recently heard this rendition of Monteverdi's Lamento della Ninfa:






and was really struck by the beauty of that kind of swooping, dipping, generally freer approach to pitch in the main vocal line. I'm also interested in it as a potentially more-authentic rendition of Baroque singing, but I really don't know enough about that to have a strong opinion.

Most reviews I've come across, though, seem really critical of this performance, praising the rest of the album for mostly avoiding the apparently now-trendy drooping... The thing is, however 'trendy' it may be, I'm having a really hard time finding more madrigal recordings like this! I know Graindelavoix is kind of like this, but they don't record a ton of madrigals. Does anyone have any leads? Or other interestingly heterodox approaches to madrigal singing? Thanks!

Here's another example, not a madrigal but still from early-Baroque Italy:


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

The phrase at 3:17 (on the second video) sounds so ridiculous that I'd like to have this recording as a bizarre curiosity. Got any more oddities like this?

The singing at the end reminds me of that female vocalist on Pink Floyd's _Dark Side of the Moon._


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

That phrase you point out is ear catching all right MR, but boy that is one beautiful piece of music and wonderfully performed cheregi. I'm going to hunt out more of the same.


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## cheregi (Jul 16, 2020)

I think the Dark Side of the Moon comparison is spot on! I highly recommend the rest of that album, Nova Metamorfosi, and really anything else by La Poeme Harmonique - it's Claire Lefilliatre with that perfect sense of vocal ornamentation and she pretty much solely records with that group.

If either of you haven't checked out Graindelavoix's arguably weird-for-weird's-sake take on this repertoire, I personally really enjoy this Cipriano de Rore recording:






And just for kicks here's another, maybe even more startling, example from Profeti della Quinta:


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Nova Metamorfosi is mine...thanks cheregi.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

mikeh375 said:


> That phrase you point out is ear catching all right MR, but boy that is one beautiful piece of music and wonderfully performed cheregi. I'm going to hunt out more of the same.


Well, good for you. I'm glad to hear you are not rushing out to buy that horrid counter-tenor travesty.


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