Vita de la Mia Vita: Ricercari, Dances, Madrigals and Villanelle on Four Lutes [CD de audio] Quartetto di Liuti da Milano and Va

This disc offers a charming anthology of Italian Renaissance ricercari, fantasias, gagliardas and madrigals performed by a four-lute consort. In the Renaissance era, Italian composers never separated vocal from instrumental production much, as evidenced by the fact that the most famous madrigals were often performed in extremely elaborate polyphonic versions by instrumental ensembles. The program combines works by well-known composers such as Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Francesco da Milano with pieces by almost unknown authors, with a lively alternation of brilliant marching dances and bittersweet reflections on the eternal themes of love, life and death . These works are performed impeccably by the Milan lute quartet, which guarantees listening of extraordinary pleasantness. The booklet includes extensive cover notes in English and Italian on the historical context in which these works emerged, detailed information on the instruments used and the biographies of the artists.