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johnny9fingersRadio 3's Building a Library (part of Saturday morning's CD Review programme) has always been one of those which both inform and entertain. Last Saturday's was no exception: Tess Knighton surveyed recordings of works by Carlo Gesualdo and made recommendations.
Now I'm reasonably well-informed about what is generally called, in our modern age, early music. But despite having read Huxley's writings on psychedelic drugs (wherein Gesualdo is mentioned) and been aware of many, if not most important music composing folk from Lassus and Palestrina onward, I had never taken the trouble to search out Gesualdo's music, mainly because of his notoriety: as I find it difficult to admire murderers, no matter how talented.
But here's the rub. According to Tess Knighton and this site, Gesualdo did not have a socially acceptable option but to murder his wife and her lover. I quote from the website:
In Gesualdo’s day Naples was a Spanish viceroyalty and the aristocracy of the time adhered to Spanish customs. These customs dictated that should your wife be having an affair, both her and her lover should be killed to preserve your family’s honour. Therefore, there is nothing exceptional in the murders, which would have been expected by society.
In which case, I can now depise the whole particular society to which he belonged, and not just the man: though I can still despise the man's actions in murdering anyone, let alone his wife's younger child. But maybe this new information, and BBC Radio 3, gave me the impetus to listen to Gesualdo's music, so famously championed by many, including Stravinsky.
It's worth listening to. Not, as with Bach, for the sublime and godlike overarching genius of his work, but for a smaller genius of a different kind. But genius nevertheless.
Still, genius or not, that's a good few aeons in purgatory for you, Carlo, my lad.
Now I'm reasonably well-informed about what is generally called, in our modern age, early music. But despite having read Huxley's writings on psychedelic drugs (wherein Gesualdo is mentioned) and been aware of many, if not most important music composing folk from Lassus and Palestrina onward, I had never taken the trouble to search out Gesualdo's music, mainly because of his notoriety: as I find it difficult to admire murderers, no matter how talented.
But here's the rub. According to Tess Knighton and this site, Gesualdo did not have a socially acceptable option but to murder his wife and her lover. I quote from the website:
In Gesualdo’s day Naples was a Spanish viceroyalty and the aristocracy of the time adhered to Spanish customs. These customs dictated that should your wife be having an affair, both her and her lover should be killed to preserve your family’s honour. Therefore, there is nothing exceptional in the murders, which would have been expected by society.
In which case, I can now depise the whole particular society to which he belonged, and not just the man: though I can still despise the man's actions in murdering anyone, let alone his wife's younger child. But maybe this new information, and BBC Radio 3, gave me the impetus to listen to Gesualdo's music, so famously championed by many, including Stravinsky.
It's worth listening to. Not, as with Bach, for the sublime and godlike overarching genius of his work, but for a smaller genius of a different kind. But genius nevertheless.
Still, genius or not, that's a good few aeons in purgatory for you, Carlo, my lad.
