It is a gigantic project, programmed on several seasons, that Paul Agnew has initiated. The goal is to give a live performance of the eight books of madrigals by Monteverdi, one at a time, in the right order, and in their complete version. And for each concert, Paul Agnew also picks a few madrigals by other composers, who might have been a source of inspiration for Monteverdi.

This concert will be the occasion to hear the Third book, which made Monteverdi very successful at the Mantova court but also abroad, notably in Germany where the Italian style vocality was very appreciated at the time.

Il Tasso is still very present, just like in the previous book, but Monteverdi also composed his madrigals from the Third book after writings by other poets, such as Pietro Bembo and Giovanni Battista Guarini.

This concert was part of the complete Monteverdi Madrigals series performed by Les Arts Florissants conducted by Paul Agnew at the Cité de la Musique, the théâtre de Caen and the Valladolid Centro Cultural Miguel Delibes.

Les Arts Florissants are supported by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, la Ville de Caen and the Région Basse-Normandie. They are in residency at the théâtre de Caen. Imerys and Alstom are the great benefactors of Les Arts Florissants.