This second book of madrigals marks the first clear point at which Monteverdi can be seen searching for his own unique style. It heralds some of his later achievements in subtle ways, particularly the dissociated character of the bass line which was to become the basso continuo of the Fifth Book.
All madrigals are in five parts.
This is one of those clear landmark recordings. The rich sonorities and carefully crafted phrases set it apart as representing a new generation of madrigal performance. Finally, an older ground-breaking ensemble to consider for this repertory is the Consort of Musicke .