Lachrimæ Caravaggio

This new production from Alia Vox is a novelty in more ways than one. Almost all the music has been written by Jordi Savall, including a number of compositions and improvisations based on arrangements of works by Gesualdo, Monteverdi and Trabaci. It is also an unprecedented encounter between a writer and a musician, both inspired by the figure of a painter. Focussing on seven of the artist's most disturbing works and seven musical 'stanzas', respectively, the French writer Dominique Fernandez and Jordi Savall pay an impassioned tribute to this extraordinary artist through their own literary and musical perspectives on the genius of Caravaggio. Although the instrumental line-up in these compositions has its origins in the 17th century, both the musical language and expression are firmly rooted in the 21st century, Savall pays tribute to such modern composers such as Arvo Pärt, particularly in his approach to improvisation and dissonance, crossing genres, periods and disciplines. As always, Alia Vox presents a lavishly documented album, graced by a wealth of carefully selected illustrations.