La Pellegrina - the 1589 Medici Intermedii Music by CRISTOFANO MALZEZZI (1547-1599), LUCA MARENZIO (1553/4-1599), GIULIO CACCINI (1551-1618), GIOVANNI DE' BARDI (1534-1612), JACOPO PERI (1561-1633) and ANTONIO ARCHILEI (1550-1612) or EMILIO DE' CAVALIERI (c.1550-1602).

Description: From the 16th century tradition of musical interludes between acts of plays came this ultimate emancipation of the music from the play: the six Intermedii for the 15589 wedding of Ferdinando de' Medici and Christine of Lorraine. The subjects were The Harmony of the Spheres, the Rivalry of the Muses and Hesperides, Apollo victorious over the Python, the story of Arion and the Descent of Rhythm and Harmony to the Earth with a depiction of Hell placed fourth. Instrumental sinfonie open each but the remaining elements range from highly ornamented solo songs accompanied by chitarrone to massive polychoral madrigals for 60 voices and 24 instruments. Italian-English texts. Dorothée Leclair, Monika Mauch (sopranos), Pascal Bertin (alto), Stephan van Dyck, Jean-François Novelli (tenors), Antoni Fajardo (bass), Collegium Vocale Gent, Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra; Skip Sempé.