The Full Monteverdi

Where love comes to die.Several years ago I attempted to watch this film and couldn't make it to the first madrigal. I'm not kidding. Bored early this morning I decided to give it another shot and an entirely different reaction took place: overwhelmed. I've had a lifelong love of all things Monteverdi and the madrigal books were amongst the first works of his I fell for. Hard. The idea of setting Monteverdi's Fourth Book of Madrigals (complete) to a lip-synched film of modern couples breaking up in a posh London restaurant somehow just did not feel "right." This time through however, I got exactly what director John La Bouchardiere felt when he thought this a great idea for a short (hour long) film.While it isn't necessary to have visualizations for Monteverdi's grand excursion into love and loss to make their point - the music and word settings make their point(s) beautifully sans pictures, La Bouchardiere nonetheless achieves something beautiful and manages to capture the heartbreak by sharing the breakups of six couples occuring simultaneously in a single night.Through the use of changing camera lenses, lighting, filters and various techniques (most notably cineme verite) and brief flashback sequences, we see the couples loving and losing. We see them on camping trips, christenings, post love making (discretely, no nudity here) and feel their sense of elation and doom - all of which somehow gracefully compliment Monteverdi's difficult, often stunning harmonizations and beautifully sung polyphony. The richness of his a capella score, lays wide open the naked emotions with an often brutal power that LaBouchardiere captures with a sure and natural sense of timing, knowing where to place and leave his cameras, when to cut to a flashback, where to allow the reaction shots - all of it flowing in seamless rhythm with the music.The vocal ensemble I Fagiolini, paired with silent actors make up the entire cast all of whom hold the hour long film together as if their lives depended upon it. I Fagiolini approach the music powerfully and often full voiced as opposed to the delicacy frequently heard from many other early music groups. The result is an often thrilling (and raw) soundscape of theatricality unique in this style of music. The "sighing" quality so necessary in this music is not eliminated by such an approach but rather becomes a highlight because of the more complex dynamics and shadings of the ensemble. They're simply wonderful.I can imagine many (most?) might feel the same as I did when first trying to watch this, but - if you've got an hour and can open your heart to some of the most exquisite music ever written to being performed - to being the "script" for an oddly beautiful film, I strongly recommend this gem of a movie.

One of the problems with listening to sung music on the radio or on CD is that unless one knows the language and can understand the words one loses out on the total experience. The composer has spent much time and effort trying to marry the music to the words; and that is often lost.That is certainly not a problem with this DVD, "The Full Monteverdi". Not only are there subtitles, but the acting by the whole ensemble leaves one in no doubt as to what is going on: the breaking-up of a relationship can be hell.The language of the sixteenth century Italian poetry is admittedly flowery and florid, but when married to the music of Monteverdi it becomes a very intense emotional experience. There are six couples (one singer and one actor) in a restaurant, in the throes of disintegrating relationships. The couples do not interact with each other -- they have enough to contend with, but the singing is as an ensemble. The camerawork and editing, along with the occasional flashback and outside scene add considerably to the excellent singing and acting.I had the mistaken impression that madrigals were about fun and frolic. Not so here. The emotion is raw and intense. But it feels true and it can be cathartic. Who knows, it might also help hold a relationship together.This is well worth experiencing. Very highly recommended

I could go either way on this staged version of Monteverdi's Fourth Book of Madrigals. I could say, sure, watch it once, just for the concept, especially if you've never quite captured the "affect" of late Renaissance poetry and music about love. Or I could say, avoid it at all costs, since the music is oddly truncated - polyphony stripped to one voice! - and the singing scarcely competes with what's available on CD from ensembles like La Venexiana and the Consort of Musicke. And the acting by the singers... either very impressive sincerity from people who really look like you and me, less than mannequin-perfect; or else unleavened dumpiness, cinema so close to verite that it's as false as reality TV.In any case, I doubt that I'll watch it twice. Let that stand as my advice to rent it, not buy it, if you have an urge to see/hear an interesting experiment.

One of the earlier descriptions gives the plot hook. I might have tolerated this in real time in a live production, on video it feels like an exaggerated mismatch between suburban couples (dining in the big city) and the high artificiality (a positive trait) of the late Italian madrigal. Only pastoral and courtly men can be so pained, musically; the men in the film don't come off as "sincere" in a modern sense. There is a sort of slow unfolding of the backstories and the tensions, but I have yet to get to the end ... can take only about ten minutes at a time. This is a lot of pained and weepy madrigals back to back. Monteverdi was not pre-channeling Mahler.

A brief review because I think the other reviews have covered what I wanted to say.What I will add is that I have sung madrigals for the past 40 years and that has included quite a bit of Monteverdi. After watching/listening to The Full Monteverdi, I do not think I will ever sing again in the same bland way I have sung in the past.This DVD is what my conductors were always trying to get us to do - sing from our hearts and souls. I will take a break for a while (to recover), then I will watch again and again and again.Bravi!

I had accidently come across this performance on an arts channel. I was totally fascinated and could not take my eyes off the actors nor take a breath lest it prevent my hearing the exquisite musical performance. I was moved to tears by the music and memories of the emotional agony of impending break ups and turmoil of past relationships. This is a brilliant work by a very creative team.

Fine performance of the music. A brave attempt to give visual and personal content and narrative shape to Monteverdi's collection.

Inspired by I Fagiolini's breathtaking live show, this film brings to life Monteverdi's madrigals of love and loss. It begins in a restaurant, where the buzz of conversation is soon pierced by a woman's anguished cry as her partner says he wants to break up. Gradually we realise that the same story is being played out at different tables. Flashbacks show how the couples all arrived separately at this crisis. The music expresses their conflicting emotions with an overwhelming intensity, and the singing and sound quality are superb.

Hmmmm. Brilliant.

Poemas de amor y desamor del renacimiento traídos e interpretados, llenos de vida, en el siglo XXI. Me ha encantado. Echo de menos los subtítulos en castellano

Since I have not been able to play this dvd on our TV, which is a new one,( it says incompatible TV setting), I find it fairly useless. If someone can tell me how it might be played, then it's possible the rating would damatically inmprove!