By the time he published his seventh book of madrigals in Venice in 1619, Monteverdi had left the standard Renaissance madrigal form far behind. He signalled the change in his approach by subtitling the new collection "concerto", omitting conventional five-voice madrigals altogether, including among the 32 musical numbers instrumental pieces and settings of texts for forces ranging between a solo voice and a quartet, and ending with the Ballo, Tirsi e Clori, a quasi-operatic sequence of solo and two-part madrigals and choruses. It's a huge, teemingly inventive and experimental collection that Delitiae Musicae present in Marco Longhini's performing edition. Both the vocal forces and the instrumental commentaries are beautifully varied in his performances, which involve more than 20 musicians; this group's Monteverdi series continues to be one of the highlights of the Naxos catalogue and an outstanding bargain.