Il primo libro de madrigali a cinque voci

The Mantuan nobleman Alessandro Striggio (1537/38–92) was one of the greatest instrumental virtuosi and composers of his day. On a visit to Venice in 1560 he published his First Book of Madrigals for Five Voices in tandem with his First Book for Six Voices (vols. 70–71 in this series); like the latter, it went through numerous editions in the succeeding twenty-five years and must count as one of the most successful madrigal books of its time. A large and apparently miscellaneous collection, it offers a rich mixture of amorous and occasional settings (including a multi-part Epitalamio) in a wide variety of musical styles. While the opening madrigal, “O de la bella Etruria invitto Duce,” proclaims Striggio's allegiance to his new employer, Duke Cosimo de' Medici of Florence, the book as a whole reflects his Mantuan origins. Several poetic texts can be ascribed to a local Mantuan poet, Giulio Nuovoloni, with whom Striggio must have had close contact. Among the persons addressed are members of the Gonzaga family, who ruled Mantua. In the introduction to this new edition--the first in modern times--the publication history of the collection and its literary origins are discussed in detail, and an overview is given of the music and the organization of the collection.