Gesualdo - Death for Five Voices - Region 1

Music is only a part of this disc's attractions, but it is powerful and well-integrated into the flow of the film, and it puts the viewer directly in touch with Gesualdo's tortured soul. Two vocal groups exemplify different views on how it should be performed. Il Complesso Barocco uses instruments, very discreetly, to support the voices; the Gesualdo Consort has five unaccompanied voices. Both sing with the expressive intensity the music requires. --Joe McLellan

Werner Herzog's chilling story of sixteenth century composer Don Carol Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, whose life embraced sexual excess, ghastly murder and obsession. Filmed on location in Italy, the program explores both Gesualdo's musical legacy and the extraordinary influence his tormented life has continued to exert on those whose lives crossed his path. Contributors include Gerald Pace, director of The Gesualdo Consort, Alan Curtis, music director of the singing ensemble II Complesso Barocco, and Professor Ludica of the Archeological Museum in Venosa.