At long last I have nearly finished the 7th book. This book has posed some issues as it is such complex music it is almost impossible to cut it down to 5 parts while maintaining its integrity. As a result, some songs will be in 6 or more parts. O viva fiamma has fairly simple harmonies, so I was able to reduce it to 5 parts.

O viva fiamma is a duet for two sopranos, The title translates as "O living flame" and is a passionate - and quite vivid - description of the act of love. All the "o - o - o-ing" is quite graphic! Good job the words are missing from this version!

The seventh book is quite a change from the earlier ones. Monteverdi seems to be concentrating on developing solos and duets, trios and small accompanied ensembles. The accompaniments are often written out with more than just long note chords. The intricate instrumental parts are more than just filling in the harmony (hence the difficulty in paring them down.)

Once again, these songs are exquisitely crafted and travel well onto brass.