DEATH OF GESUALDO
St Martin-in-the-Fields Church
★★★★★
“The tortured, but insanely sublime, harmonies, seem to defy every rule of musical theory but they touch us like dreams”
History is filled with artists – painters, playwrights, musicians and composers – who were either cruel, criminal, exploitative or predatory; but the history of art has tended to overlook the offences if the perpetrator is considered a great artist. Although today, the ethical dilemma is at the forefront of such debates in our ‘cancelling’ culture. Bill Barclay, the creator and director of “Death of Gesualdo – A Theatrical Concert” approaches the question head on in the programme notes. What to do with the art of odious people? Commissioned by St Martin-in-the-Fields (with the National Centre for Early Music Before 1800), Barclay had a moment of moral pause while creating the concert that celebrates the life of the sixteenth century Italian composer, Carlo Gesualdo. Had he been born four hundred years later, there is no doubt that he would be instantly obliterated online. Gesualdo was a double murderer and serial abuser whose life descended and ended in isolation, depression and psychosis.
The debate, and the dilemma, melt away amid the candlelight and soft shadows in the nave of St Martin-in-the-Fields church. The madrigals that Gesualdo composed throughout his life are beautifully interpreted and performed by the award-winning vocal ensemble, ‘The Gesualdo Six’. The close harmonies, beguiling arrangements and sheer vocal talent fill every corner of the vast space. Two tenors, two countertenors, a baritone and a bass recount the life and death of the composer through his own compositions. The tortured, but insanely sublime, harmonies, seem to defy every rule of musical theory but they touch us like dreams. Sung in Latin, we don’t need the words to follow the emotional path of a troubled soul.
The narrative begins at Gesualdo’s death before returning to the birth and treading slowly back to his inevitable end. The grave to cradle to grave story is accompanied by six cast members of ‘Concert Theatre Works’ who wordlessly mirror the music with stunningly choreographed human tableaux. Sometimes animated but more often still life images that bring story to the symphony more effectively than mere words. Carlo Gesualdo is stretched out on the altar, his life slipping away. A puppet rises, spirit like, taking us back to his birth and childhood. He learns archery, the lute and the art of seduction. His wedding night is captured, like a fragile butterfly, within strips of gauze. The ecstasy is ephemeral, turning swiftly to tragedy and murder. A scream splinters the song. There is another wife, pictures of abuse, disloyalty and sadistic concubines. We are back at the start – or rather the end. Will Tuckett’s choreography is deliberate, precise, delivered in slow motion with the force of a lightning bolt. The painful episodes of life, set against the beauty of the music, is unsettling yet thrilling. It may be difficult at times to follow the thread, but it is possible to pick it up again. That said, it is definitely worth doing the research into his life beforehand.
Janni Younge’s puppetry design adds further layers. The puppet, moving ghost-like through the story, depicts not just the young Gesualdo and later his two sons, but also seems to double as a kind of alter ego. His soul almost, or conscience. Yet it is the music of the Gesualdo Six that is at the heart of the piece. It feels ancient but sounds fresh. It is haunting and majestic, chilling and powerful. There may be a niche appeal to this type of concert, but music lovers (indeed anyone) would do well to step outside their comfort zone and immerse themselves in this multi-sensory performance. We are shrouded in the surreal and magical atmosphere from the moment we enter the venue. Unfortunately, once seated, the sightlines are tricky, but what can you do with a three-hundred-year-old church?
“Death of Gesualdo” doesn’t try to separate the music from the composer’s life. They are inextricably connected. However macabre the reality was, it would be a crime to deny the music that resulted from a complicated and tormented life. ‘The Gesualdo Six’ present it as a wonderful gift.
DEATH OF GESUALDO
St Martin-in-the-Fields Church
Reviewed on 16th January 2026
by Jonathan Evans
Photography by Paul Marc Mitchell
