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.

"Chiome d'oro, bel tesoro" tells of golden tresses of hair, strings of pearls and roses that all charm and bind the lover to his love. It's a typical slushy romantic poem of the time and Monteverdi gives it some special treatment indeed. Originally for 'two voices (unspecified) two violins and basso continuo (now a standard part of any accompaniment) I have chosen to arrnage it for Two horns, Two Trumpets/Cornets, two trombones (baritone/euphonium) and tuba.The range of the violin parts is quite small, so it fits rather well on the trumpets. Of course, we are in the era when music was apt to be composed to fit any combination of instruments and so all the ranges would have to be similar to enable this to happen. I decided to give the duet lines to the horns.

The seventh book continues to be a challenge. 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, this song is exquisitely crafted and travels well onto brass.