Book 7 (1619) gathers together works that must have been written many years apart. The common denominator is its consistent use of instruments in conjunction with the voices. Recording the complete book is a considerable undertaking, only previously achieved by the Consort of Musicke (Virgin Veritas, nla).
La Venexiana's free approach to rhythm is alive to the spirit of the music. Ohimé, dov'è il mio ben manages to be a set of variations on the Romanesca theme, and something else entirely: they convince you that this double-reading is precisely what Monteverdi intended. Though not everything reflects the multi-faceted Monteverdi aesthetic, the pieces that are recorded less often still shed a useful light on his working process. As the first intégrale by a modern Italian ensemble, this is a significant addition to the catalogue.