Album guide
Monteverdi - a trace of grace
- Composer
- Monteverdi
- Released
- 2011
- Label
- Carpe Diem Records
- Forces
- Vocal, Bass, Serpent
- Personnel
- Michel Godard serpent and bass, Guillemette Laurens voice, Steve Swallow bass, Gavino Murgia saxophone and voice, Fanny Paccoud violin, Bruno Helstroffer theorbo
This album began with a piece of friendly nagging. Whenever Michel Godard shared his enthusiasm for Monteverdi, Gavino Murgia told him he had to build a project around it; Godard resisted, then gave in.
Six musicians spent a week together in the twelfth-century Abbaye de Noirlac. Godard wanted them to find a common language, not simply bolt jazz solos onto Monteverdi, so Guillemette Laurens sings each original text clearly before the instrumental responses begin.
Hear both
The album alternates the classical original with the jazz reading, so both play in the single player below and there is no separate classical side.
The player above carries the complete album in track order, the straight performances and the jazz readings alike.
Spotify’s player is here for convenience; the full track listing below remains available to everyone.
Source works
The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.
- L’incoronazione di Poppea, SV 308: Pur ti miroL’incoronazione di Poppea, SV 308: ‘Pur ti miro’
- L’abbesseOriginal composition by Michel Godard
- SoyeusementOriginal composition by Michel Godard
- A Trace of GraceOriginal composition by Michel Godard
- Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti, SV 251Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti, SV 251
- Prelude in FOriginal composition by Michel Godard
- RomaOriginal composition by Michel Godard
- Les Effets De MancheOriginal composition by Steve Swallow
- Pianto de la madonna, SV 288Pianto della Madonna sopra il Lamento d’Arianna, SV 288
- Doppo Il LamentoOriginal composition by Michel Godard
- Si dolce e il tormento, SV 332Si dolce e’l tormento, SV 332
- Doppo Il TormentoSwallow: Doppo il Tormento, written from Monteverdi’s Si dolce e’l tormento, SV 332
- L’incoronazione di Poppea, SV 308: Oblivion soaveL’incoronazione di Poppea, SV 308: ‘Oblivion soave’