Questa crudele

By the early 1600s, the full flowering of Italian vocal composition had secured a place in the hearts of European music. One of the most popular forms was the madrigal, traditionally a texted, contrapuntal work for four to six voices. The madrigal’s origins may be traced to older vocal forms such as the frottola and chanson, but what sets it apart is the degree of expressivity and chromatic experimentation, its popular strain, and the quality of its poetry. Among its many practitioners—and arguably its most dynamic and adventurous voice—was Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), Prince of Venosa. Any introductory tour of the madrigal stops to pay homage at Gesualdo’s door, for both his music and his life vivify the best and worst of boundless passion.
At his worst Gesualdo sinned excessively: he was jealous and cruel, at times morose and depressed, and he dabbled in mystical adoration of relics and occult objects. He killed his first wife and her lover when discovering them in flagrante, yet he was acquitted—such was his standing among the local aristocracy. In music Gesualdo made significant contributions to the elevation of text as the driver of a work’s expressive style. Taking Monteverdi’s innovations to their logical extreme, he dissected poetry for its affective heart, and then created radically new levels of dissonance and harmonic devices that could capture the power of deeply-felt emotions. For instance, Questa crudele e pia starts with tightly overlapping entrances and extended dissonant suspensions, pulling maximal expressivity from each gesture. Rhythmic contrasts allow short phrases of text to stand out from the surroundings. In this way Gesualdo throws differing lights on each moment. Among the most striking are the rising chromatics on “sdegnosa,” meaning “disdainfully,” that lead to a double leading-tone cadence and powerful 7-8 bass suspension. This intentionally strident moment is followed by a closing section of greater restraint. Approaching the conclusion, Gesualdo uses touches of homophony to achieve a feeling of concerted emotion.

(c) Jason Stell