Merula Madrigali, libro secondo, Op. 10—Aria di Ciaccona, "Su la cetra amorosa". Curtio precipitato, libro secondo, Op. 13—Folle ê ben che si crede; Chi vuol ch'io m'inamori; Un bambin chi va alla scola; Quando gli uccelli portaranno i zoccoli; Sentirete una canzonetta; Menti lingua bugiarda; Ho ch'ê tempo di dormire. Capriccio cromaticoa. Toccata del secondo tonob. Montserrat Figueras (sop); Jean-Pierre Canihac (cornet); Lorenz Duftsclunid (vn); bAndrew Lawrence-King (hp); Rolf Lislevand (theorbo/baroque gtr); Jordi Savall (va da gamba); aTon Koopman (hpd).

Astree Auvidis 0 CD E8503 (56 minutes: DDD). Texts and translations included.

Tarquino Merula is barely represented in the catalogue except as a composer of distinctive instrumental music—and even then there is only one recording which does this part of his oeuvre any justice (Auvidis Valois 0 V4641). This release from the soprano Montserrat Figueras shows that Merula's secular vocal style is if anything even more interesting than, if not as historically significant as, his entertaining and effervescent canzonas. As the note points out, he was amongst the first generation of Italian composers to take the new baroque style for granted, a fact which is not easily surmised from the publication dates of his compositions, which give the impression that he is closer to the generation of Monteverdi and Frescobaldi than is really the case. He published a good deal when he was a young man when the `masters' were still in the ascendancy; whether or not his reputation has suffered from lying awkwardly between their epoch and that of Cavalli and Carissimi is difficult to gauge. His solo vocal pieces were certainly highly regarded in their day and it is not hard to see why. The 1638 book of solo songs, from which most of this disc is taken, is an expressive and ingenious collection which displays amongst other things Merula's mature handling of Monteverdi's stile concitato and a highly attractive treatment of popular songs.

Figueras's approach in the intricate and colourful melodic strands of the `concerted' pieces is impetuous but effectively paced too. The result is at times little short of spellbinding: Su la cetra amorosa is executed with all the considerable virtuosity, energy and emotional intensity it deserves, complemented moreover by an exciting and fluent dialogue with a solo cornett. She thrives on the momentum of the ostinato bass, especially one which is treated to such free articulation and improvisatory liberties as this. Also impressive is her ability to judge the fine line between comedy and despair in Quando gli uccelli portaranno i zoccoli ("When birds wear clogs"), where Merula's slightly bizarre sense of humour and a proven sense of irony are exhibited to the full. If there is a drawback to Figueras's freestyle it is the tendency to force her tone, especially in simpler strophic forms whose abstraction can highlight deficiencies in intonation and tonal quality. Ensemble can be a little ropey, too, but the overall richness of musical timbre and freedom of expression is what ultimately prevails. Well worth investigating. JF-A

See also Passing notes on page 22