Profeti della Quinta - Il Mantovano Hebreo - The Observer

The all-male, five-strong Israeli vocal ensemble Profeti della Quinta focus on music of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. One of their specialist areas is Salomone Rossi, the Italian-Jewish Renaissance composer who was a contemporary of Monteverdi and worked in Mantua at the court of the Gonzagas. He lived in the city's ghetto but was excused from wearing the yellow star owing to his high standing at court. His sister, Europa, was a pioneering opera singer. This expertly performed collection of Italian madrigals, Hebrew prayers and instrumental music deserves recognition as a hidden gem, introducing this composer to many of us for the first time.