Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
One of the most grand and eloquent liturgical works ever written, Monteverdi's Vespers has enjoyed near-perpetual favor with performers and listeners since its composition in 1610. It may have been written for use as an "audition" piece for the position of maestro di cappella at the famed St. Mark's cathedral in Venice. Whatever its motivation, this is a most ambitious and stylistically fascinating compendium that sets out the eight chants of the Mass Ordinary, interspersed with four motets and an instrumental piece. The 90- minute work includes soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Not until Bach would there be a religious work on this scale. Gardiner and his Monteverdi Choir adopt a decidedly "un-period" sound on this mid-'70s recording, with free vocal vibrato and a mix of modern and period instruments. This two-for-one disc set also includes motets by Monteverdi, Gabrieli, and Bassani. --David Vernier

Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610, Music, Michael Rippon, Giovanni Battista Bassani, Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio Monteverdi, John Eliot Gardiner, Charles Brett, James Bowman, John Angelo Messana, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Philip Jones Wind Ensemble, Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, Jill Gomez, Martyn Hill, Robert Tear, Felicity Palmer, John Shirley-Quirk, Philip Langridge, Baroque Motet, Choral, Choral Music, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Renaissance Motet, Sacred Choral Music, Vocal
Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Just beautiful
  • wonderful
  • A reasonable bargain(?)
  • Punctilious Research and Performance Practice
  • Easily the best recording of the Vespers
 Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Gabrieli · Monteverdi · Vivaldi - Venetian Church Music / Taverner Consort, Choir & Players · Andrew Parrott
  2. Josquin Desprez: Motets & Chansons
  3. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna
  4. Monteverdi - L'Orfeo / Rolfe Johnson, Dawson, von Otter, Argenta, M. Nichols, Tomlinson, Chance, Baird; Gardiner
  5. Bach: Magnificat; Easter Oratorio

ASIN: B000031WJB
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

  1. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versiculus, Canto Gregoriano: Deus In Adiutorium
  2. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Responsorium: Domine Ad Adiuvandum Me Festina
  3. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona, Canto Gregoriano
  4. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus I: Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus
  5. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Nigra Sum
  6. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona II, Canto Gregoriano: Maria Virgo Assumpta Est
  7. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus II: Psalmus 112: Laudate Pueri
  8. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Pulchra Es
  9. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona III, Canto Gregoriano: In Odorem Unguentorum Tuorum...
  10. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus III: Psalmus 121: Laetatus Sum
  11. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son
  12. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona IV, Canto Gregoriano: Benedicta Filia Tua Domino
  13. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus IV: Psalmus 126: Nisi Dominus
  14. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Audi Coelum
  15. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona V, Canto Gregoriano: Pulchra Es Et Decora, Filia...
  16. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus IV:: Psalmus V: Psalmus 147: Lauda Jerusalem Dominum
  17. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son
  18. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Capitulum, Canto Gregoriano: In Omnibus Requiem Quaesivi
  19. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Hymnus: Ave Maris Stella
  20. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus Et Responsorium
  21. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona VI, Canto Gregoriano: Hodie Maria Virgo Caelos Ascendit
  22. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son Sopra Sancta Maria

Tracks:

  1. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Magnificat
  2. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Oratio, Canto Gregoriano: Dominus Vobiscum
  3. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus, Canto Gregoriano: Dominus Vobiscum
  4. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Duo Seraphim
  5. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona Beatae Mariae Virginis: Salve Regina
  6. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus Et Responsorium, Canto Gregoriano: Ora Pro Nobis
  7. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Oratio, Canto Gregoriano: Domine Vobiscum
  8. Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Conclusio, Canto Gregoriano: Divinum Auxilium Maneat Semper...
  9. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus
  10. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 110: Confitebor Tibi Domine
  11. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 111: Beatus Vir
  12. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 112: Laudate Pueri
  13. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 116: Laudate Dominum
  14. Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Salve Regina

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Just beautiful.......2007-03-20

This CD captures both the gutsy energy and the ethereal beauty of Monteverdi's sacred choral music. I have neither performed nor even listened to his music for a long time, and this CD re-awakened me to its richness and compelling quality. There is a reason why we consider Monteverdi a "great" composer, and this CD shows it.

5 out of 5 stars wonderful.......2005-09-28

The singing and playing on this recording are truly delightful. The overall concept of the work is good. I love this recording.

But, like too many recordings of the vespers, it includes gregorian chant antiphons sung between the movements. Now either Monteverdi wrote this piece as a "piece" to be performed, in which case I believe the solo movements were meant to take the place of the traditional chant, or it is a collection of wonderful psalm settings and other sacred movements, in which case what is the point of adding music not written by Monteverdi? The same argument goes for the instrumental sonatas thrown in here. My personal belief is that Monteverdi, the first great opera composer, wrote these psalm settings over a period of time, and then put them together with the other movements to make a unified whole for publication. The other recording I own of this work, Gardiner's first recording of it, has a much nicer flow because there is no chant.

I must say that I love the clarity this version gives with one voice on a line, and I play both cd's often.

4 out of 5 stars A reasonable bargain(?).......2005-07-02

Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 are increasingly becoming to be seen as a landmark work in the history of Western music. This is one of the most outstanding works of the late Renaissance composers of the Seconda Prattica (Second Pratice) amongst whom Monteverdi - one of the fathers of opera - was arguably the most forward looking. In fact Monteverdi is so forward looking he is often described as being an early Baroque composer. Elements of the work are highly conservative such as the widespread writing in multiple parts - a practice that had already become increasingly unusual by this time (and totally anachronistic by Bach's time), yet the entire work contains a fantastic profusion of colourful music and an instrumental ensemble which is varied to match the mood of each piece. In this regard his music can be compared to the paintings of Titian with its typical Venetian overflow of exuberance and colourfulness, that contrasts markedly with the Northern sobriety of the sacred works of Bach. This a work of unbridled sensuality and yet of luxurious refinement.

I have listened to this version of the Monteverdi Vespers for many years and have always somehow been left feeling partially dissatisfied by it despite the lavish praise heaped upon it by many reviewers over the years. Certainly it has it moments of greatness, yet I wish the reading as a whole would cohere more. Although the singers here are all stars, a star studded legion of singers do not an ensemble make. So I have waited years to find a recording that might surplant it. Years went by and recordings came and went without anything really grabbing my attention. Then recently I discovered a recording that seems to have eluded me: Masaaki Suzuki with the Bach Collegium Japan on the Swedish boutique label Bis (ASIN B00005K2BK).

Of course the virtues of their Bach are well known and many a reviewer has written their story of at first ridiculing the thought of a Japanese period instrument group to then being completely floored by their performances again and again. Suzuki seems to have everything I have every felt was missing in the Parrott, even if here and there Parrott has some altenative insights (the Nisi Dominus is an example where Suzuki seems dangerously over-exuberant!), these moments are rare exceptions. Suzuki fully captures that uninhibited Venetian exuberance of the writing bringing the whole together as a whole rather than just having sporadic moments. Still, the lush modal harmonies seem just that much more succulent and the resultant expressive impact is incomparable. For someone who has tolerated the Parrott for almost ten years the weight of burden being lifted was just huge!

For the price I guess if you need a budget version, then the Parrott is now competitive especially if you prefer your Monteverdi sung one to a part. However, the BIS recording for Suzuki is, as usual from them, just stunning. In the BIS recording there is far greater spaciousness and air around the instruments and voices, with timbre coming through in all its riches without being bleached. The BIS recoridng is fair audiophile quality (it is BIS policy to avoid compression devices or blatant post-production processing), that renders it first choice to anyone for whom recorded sound quality dictates preferences. The EMI recording for Parrott sounds like early 16-bit digital sound at its thinnest and boxiest - a fact exacerbated by the glassiness that comes with Virgin sound transfers (Virgin desperately need to review their remastering and digital transfer equipment/methods). You certainly get what you pay for.

So take your pick - the cheap and easy option of Parrott or the rich fullness of Suzuki's Dionysian exuberance. Also there is always Rinaldo Alessandrino version for those insistent on hearing this sung one to a part - the sound there is even better than on the BIS.

5 out of 5 stars Punctilious Research and Performance Practice.......2004-12-29

Recorded in 1983 and 1984 at All Saints’ Church, Tooting (London), this double CD is still something of a classic, presenting Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers in punctilious historical performance practice, basically using, despite the large forces involved, soloists to perform most of the material. Together with Hugh Keyte, Andrew Parrott researched the history of church music in Venice at the end of the 16th and the first half of the 17th centuries, and then arranged the Vespers in a form which, although certainly not the only one possible, would have been acceptable for sacred service at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice during the first years of Monteverdi’s tenure there. The one unhistorical aspect of the recording is the use of female sopranos, but as Andrew Parrott points out, the sound of "castrati" just cannot be reproduced today, and he feels that using boys or countertenors would not be as appropriate as using genuine soprano voices.

This is, of course, a very British production, and a large number of Britain’s early music stars (at least from the early 80’s) were involved in the production. There are solo passages sung by Emma Kirkby, David Thomas, Nigel Rogers, Tessa Bonner, Evelyn Tubb, Emily Van Evera, Margaret Philpot, Rogers Covey-Crump, Andrew King, Richard Wistreich and others, and the Taverner Players count some of Britain’s most distinguished period instrument players among their ranks: John Holloway, Micaela Comberti, Trevor Jones, Mark Caudle, Susan Sheppard, Jennifer Ward-Clarke, Francis Baines, Bruce Dickey, Lisa Beznosiuk, Rachel Beckett, Anthony Bailes, Nigel North, John Toll … and so the list goes on. If you are a fan of the British early music scene, you will have heard of all these names and will know what a wonderful treat awaits you when you turn your CD player on.

And a wonderful treat it is indeed, although the opening Gregorian chant with its empty church echo does sound a little strange. But from Track 2 onwards, the whole begins to sound glorious, a continuous stream of delightful vocal and instrumental passages with all the wonderful typically Monteverdian sounds that early music fans have come to appreciate. Special mention for Nigel Rogers, Andrew King and Joseph Cornwell who offer a superb “Duo seraphim” without the high-voiced contortions of a René Jacobs. Of the female soloists, only Emily Van Evera sounds a little sharp on occasion, but that is something that can be accepted in view of the total quality of the recording. Personally, I have come to love and appreciate this version a little more than Philip Pickett’s 90’s version for Decca’s early music imprint L’Oiseau-Lyre, where the sound is never quite so convincing as here.

5 out of 5 stars Easily the best recording of the Vespers.......2004-03-13

Andrew Parrott's recording is rightly considered by critics and listeners alike as THE recording of Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610. Using minimal forces, the individual voices layering upon one another can be clearly heard, not drowned out into a mass of sound as in many "fuller" recordings. The only other "five-star" recording of the Vespers is the Konrad Junghanel with Cantus Colln.
If I could only own one recording of this work, the Andrew Parrott would me the one.
Monteverdi - Vespers of 1610 (Vespro della Beata Vergine) / Chandler, R. Croft, Atkinson, Numura, Boston Baroque, Pearlman
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Superlative! The Human Voice is a Beautiful Instrument
  • A good version
  • Croft's Orphee
  • Mary must be pretty pleased
  • Wonderful performance, a good "first recording"
 Monteverdi - Vespers of 1610 (Vespro della Beata Vergine) / Chandler, R. Croft, Atkinson, Numura, Boston Baroque, Pearlman
Claudio Monteverdi , Boston Baroque , Janice Chandler , Richard Croft , Martin Pearlman , Lynton Atkinson , and Christopheren Nomura
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers
  2. Handel - Messiah / Clift · Robbin · Fowler · Ledbetter · Boston Baroque, Pearlman
  3. Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna
  4. Mozart - Requiem / Ziesak, Maultsby, R. Croft, D. Arnold, Boston Baroque, Pearlman
  5. Monteverdi - L'Orfeo / Rolfe Johnson, Dawson, von Otter, Argenta, M. Nichols, Tomlinson, Chance, Baird; Gardiner

ASIN: B000003D2F
Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

  1. I. Deus In Adjutorium - Domine Ad Adjuvandum - Christopheren Nomura
  2. Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
  3. II. Psalm 109: Dixit Dominus - Christopheren Nomura
  4. III. Motet: Nigra Sum - Christopheren Nomura
  5. Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
  6. IV. Psalm 112: Laudate Pueri - Christopheren Nomura
  7. V. Motet: Pulchra Es - Christopheren Nomura
  8. Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
  9. VI. Psalm 121: Laetatus Sum - Christopheren Nomura
  10. VII. Motet: Duo Seraphim - Christopheren Nomura
  11. Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
  12. VIII. Psalm 126: Nisi Dominus - Christopheren Nomura
  13. IX. Motet: Audi Coelum - Christopheren Nomura
  14. Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
  15. X. Psalm 147: Lauda Jerusalem - Christopheren Nomura

Tracks:

  1. XI. Sonata Sopra 'Sancta Maria, Ora Pro Nobis' - Claudio Monteverdi
  2. XII. Hymn: Ave Maris Stella - Claudio Monteverdi
  3. XII. Antiphon: XIII Magnificat - Claudio Monteverdi
  4. 1. Magnificat Anima Mea - Claudio Monteverdi
  5. 2. Et Exultavit - Claudio Monteverdi
  6. 3. Quia Respexit - Claudio Monteverdi
  7. 4. Quia Fecit Mihi Magna - Claudio Monteverdi
  8. 5. Et Misericordia - Claudio Monteverdi
  9. 6. Fecit Potentiam - Claudio Monteverdi
  10. 7. Deposuit Potentes De Sede - Claudio Monteverdi
  11. 8. Esurientes Implevit Bonis - Claudio Monteverdi
  12. 9. Suscepit Israel - Claudio Monteverdi
  13. 10. Sicut Locutus Est - Claudio Monteverdi
  14. 11. Gloria Patri - Claudio Monteverdi
  15. 12. Sicut Erat In Principio - Claudio Monteverdi

Amazon.com

This performance of Monteverdi's extraordinary collection of sacred music, which received a 1999 Grammy nomination, has its good points, but it can't really be considered best even in its class. Martin Pearlman leads a relatively large-scale performance, using a 30-member chorus (often doubled by instruments) throughout; he adds some plainchant before the Psalms; he takes the Lauda Jerusalem and Magnificat at high pitch. The instrumentalists play their difficult parts quite creditably, and Pearlman takes some exciting tempos. Unfortunately, his chorus can't always keep up with him: they often sound muddy and, in fast passages, sometimes downright sloppy. The soprano soloists sing attractively but with wider vibratos than ideal for this music; the tenors, however, are very good indeed, with Richard Croft's heartfelt, sensitively embellished, beautifully modulated singing deserving an award for Best Performance of Monteverdi by a Mainstream Opera Singer. If you want a full-scale choral performance, though, you'll do better with that of René Jacobs or William Christie, and Andrew Parrott's reconstruction of a Vespers service (done mostly one-singer-per-part) is not to be missed. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Superlative! The Human Voice is a Beautiful Instrument.......2007-05-22

If anyone has ever doubted the male human voice as being an outstanding instrument, listen to track #10:

VII. Motet: Duo Seraphim - Christopheren Nomura

It does not get much better than that.

Highly recommended, this has gone quickly to the top of my Sacred Choral CD Collection.

4 out of 5 stars A good version.......2005-01-14

Will someone please shoot Matthew Westphal and put us all out of our misery? We have to endure his claptrap on this piece constantly. OK, so he loves the museum-piece-vaguely-resuscitated Parrott version. Fine, but I for one am fed up hearing it used to poo-pooh better versions - such as this one. It's not the best - that honour for me belongs to Gardiner in the fabulous "live" version in San Marco, followed by Suzuki with the Bach Collegium Japan, but this is definitely up in the second division. It has antiphons, but they aren't allowed to get in the way, and the singing and playing, while not the best, are pretty darn good. A version to which I shall frequently return.

5 out of 5 stars Croft's Orphee.......2004-04-26

To Ricardo (below), Croft's Orphee (Gluck) is scheduled to be released May 11, 2004 by Archiv.

5 out of 5 stars Mary must be pretty pleased.......2004-04-07

I only recently discovered the work of Pearlman and the Boston Baroque through their Messiah which is absolutely stunning. So, I was eager to pick this piece up, especially after listening to the brief audio clips on the site.

I have a bit of early music (des Pres, Tallis, some madrigals and the like) and a lot more baroque. What I really like about the Vespers is that they demonstrate the evolution from early to baroque quite clearly. You get both the sense of chant - and maybe madrigal forms with some of the parts for single voices - as well as the seeds of baroque style, especially in the full choral sections. Where this differs most clearly from early music is the orchestra itself to support and augment the voices.

However, that is just a description of what it resembles - the thing itself is amazing. Monteverdi used full choirs, split choirs and many parts for individual voice and small groups to create a remarkable audio tapestry. My wife thinks I am a little nuts right now but I urge you to sit down between the speakers, put this on and crank it up a little - especially in the Dixit Dominus. It is astonishing. Pearlman, the orchestra and choir of Boston Baroque have done a fabulous job.

4 out of 5 stars Wonderful performance, a good "first recording".......2004-03-13

For one who does not already own this work, Pearlman is a great start. While I personally prefer the Andrew Parrott and Konrad Junghanel recordings, the Boston Baroque is certainly my favorite "more expansive" version. There can never be a "correct" recording of the Vespers as much is left to the conductors preference. Thus, no two recordings are alike, each has it's own flavor.
This Pearlman set is probably the "safest" disc for one who wants the grand majesty of the music, yet desires the devotional quality as well. Easily and by far much, much better than Gardiner's.
Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Stay Away!
  • Stirring
  • A 17th CENTURY SHOWPIECE
  • Over-wrought and pompous
  • A bargain
 Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Gabrieli, GiovanniGabrieli, Giovanni | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Monteverdi ChoirMonteverdi Choir | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
MotetsMotets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
The Decca Records StoreThe Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B000004247
Release Date: 1994-10-11

Tracks:

  1. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Deus in adjutorium meum intende - C. Monteverdi
  2. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Domine ad adjuvandum me festina - C. Monteverdi
  3. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus - C. Monteverdi
  4. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Concerto: Nigra sum - C. Monteverdi
  5. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Psalmus 112: Laudate, pueri, Dominum - C. Monteverdi
  6. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Concerto: Pulchra es - C. Monteverdi
  7. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Psalmus 121: Laetatus sum - C. Monteverdi
  8. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Concerto: Duo Seraphim - C. Monteverdi
  9. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Psalmus 126: Nisi Dominus - C. Monteverdi
  10. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Concerto: Audi, coelum - C. Monteverdi
  11. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Psalmus 147: Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum - C. Monteverdi
  12. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Sonata sopra 'Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis' - C. Monteverdi

Tracks:

  1. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Hymnus: Ave maris stella - Claudio Monteverdi
  2. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Magnificat - Claudio Monteverdi
  3. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Et exultavit - Claudio Monteverdi
  4. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Quia respexit - Claudio Monteverdi
  5. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Quia fecit mihi magna - Claudio Monteverdi
  6. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Et misericordia eius - Claudio Monteverdi
  7. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Fecit potentiam - Claudio Monteverdi
  8. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Deposuit potentes - Claudio Monteverdi
  9. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Esurientes implevit bonis - Claudio Monteverdi
  10. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Suscepit Israel - Claudio Monteverdi
  11. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Sicut locutus est - Claudio Monteverdi
  12. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Gloria Patri - Claudio Monteverdi
  13. Vespro della Beata Vergine: Sicut erat in principio - Claudio Monteverdi
  14. Audite principes - Claudio Monteverdi
  15. Hodie Christus natus est - Claudio Monteverdi
  16. Angelus ad pastores - Claudio Monteverdi
  17. Quem vidistis, pastores? - Claudio Monteverdi
  18. Salvator noster - Claudio Monteverdi
  19. O magnum mysterium - Claudio Monteverdi
  20. Exultent caeli - Claudio Monteverdi

Amazon.com

One of the most grand and eloquent liturgical works ever written, Monteverdi's Vespers has enjoyed near-perpetual favor with performers and listeners since its composition in 1610. It may have been written for use as an "audition" piece for the position of maestro di cappella at the famed St. Mark's cathedral in Venice. Whatever its motivation, this is a most ambitious and stylistically fascinating compendium that sets out the eight chants of the Mass Ordinary, interspersed with four motets and an instrumental piece. The 90- minute work includes soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Not until Bach would there be a religious work on this scale. Gardiner and his Monteverdi Choir adopt a decidedly "un-period" sound on this mid-'70s recording, with free vocal vibrato and a mix of modern and period instruments. This two-for-one disc set also includes motets by Monteverdi, Gabrieli, and Bassani. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Stay Away!.......2005-01-01

This recording only conveys the "loud drama" of Monteverdi's Vespers, which it is soley not. There is not one ounce of spirituality in this recording whatsoever! Not only that but, the recording is marked with blocky chunks which are heavily noticible (as cuts)...there is no sense of fluidity or flow at all. Also, there is no libretto included.

I wouldn't recommend this set of the Vespers to anyone starting out and wanting to understand them. I would recommend Gardiner's second recording in it's stead as it is imbued with spiritual elements.

I've heard that Andrew Parrot's version is the "one" to get, though I've not heard it yet.

5 out of 5 stars Stirring.......2001-10-09

Vespro della beata vergine, a very stirring composition, was written by Monteverdi and performed in St.Marks Cathedral, Venice in the late 16th century. Claudio Monteverdi had just crossed over into Chorale, mass and religious music to try to win over the favors of the Pope. His opera works, as stunning as they were, were not paying his bills and he had a family to support. Thus his switch to sacred music may have had political dynamics.

It is important to keep in mind that this was Monteverdi's first serious full-length religious-based compositional endeavour after his opera works (such as L'Orfeo), and therefore carries with it some of the more dramatic arias and robust tenor voices inherent to opera. In this particular SV206 recording, that influence is very strong, and while it might take a bit of the subtlety out of the music, it adds an incredible amount of fortitude, vitality, and resolve. But don't be mistaken, this recording still has the subtle nuances crucial to the works. For a truly supple example of the composition, check out the version by Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Consort. It's quite impressive.

On this SV206 issue, overall the strong as well as the precious operatic voices ring through and evoke that first golden morning 500 yeras ago in St. Marks cathedral, Venice, when the great composer conducted a vast chorus and orchestra before the highest of Italian religious and secular powers, trying to prove to them that he had full mastery of sacred music. This recording evokes an era of glorious faith, but also a time when minds were surrounded by the darkness of unkown horizons and a hierarchological universe.

...Beyond the Venice quais, with their great merchant sailing vessels unloading treasures and preparing for new voyages, the horizons of the world were new and enigmatic, and as this chorus floated out from the cathedral square, the voyagers carried it in their hearts and minds as the promise of an ordered universe.

5 out of 5 stars A 17th CENTURY SHOWPIECE.......1999-09-12

For the uninitiated-This is one of the greatest choral masterpieces ever created-A MUST HAVE! Gardiner's "modern instrument" interpretation is a spectacularly,theatrical experience.Monteverdi, himself,ever the master showman,would have concurred.This performance will leave you awestruck.(My husband,who shrinks at the sound of my "monk music" upon hearing this,was converted) Absolutely Rapturous!

1 out of 5 stars Over-wrought and pompous.......1999-01-03

This performance lacks all the subtlety required for this beautiful work. The "operatic" soloists' performances are overblown, making this performance heavy and plodding.

A truly remarkable performance is the one by Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Consort.

4 out of 5 stars A bargain.......1998-12-24

I'd give it one more than my Texan friend above, but not five purely because I think that Gardiner's later version for Archiv, recorded in San Marco, Venice, knocks spots off every other version I've ever heard, and that's a lot. This is a modern instrument version, but it captures the magic of the work, a spectacular tour-de-force which bridges between the Renaissance and Baroque musical worlds. Its main glory is the choral singing which, with the blaze of Philip Jones's brass in the big numbers, is goosebump-raising. If you like your Vespers magnificent rather than devotional, this version is unmissable at this price.
Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine Marien-Vesper (1610) (Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary) [Deutsche Harmonia Mundi]
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine Marien-Vesper (1610) (Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary) [Deutsche Harmonia Mundi]
    Cantus Cölln , and Concerto Palatino
    Manufacturer: RCA
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000001TYQ
    Release Date: 1996-07-16
    Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine, 1610
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine, 1610

      Manufacturer: Ambitus
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B000000TSY
      Release Date: 1993-08-04
      Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610

        Manufacturer: London / Polygram Records
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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        ASIN: B00008FJCK
        Release Date: 1990-10-25
        Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610

          Manufacturer: Astree Naive
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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          ASIN: B0000DETC6
          Release Date: 1999-01-01
          Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • Thoroughly Satisfying Vespers
          		 Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610
          Coro del Centro Musica Antica di Padova
          Manufacturer: Astree
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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          ASIN: B0000017PB
          Release Date: 1993-09-01

          Tracks:

          1. E 8719: Intonatio: Dues In Adiutorium Meum Intende/Responsorium
          2. E 8719: Antiphona: Angelicam Vitam.../Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus/Commencement: Dieu, Viens...
          3. E 8719: Con: Nigra Sum
          4. E 8719: Antiphona: In Dei Orto Sata.../Psalmus 112: Laudate Pueri/Con: Je Suis Noire...
          5. E 8719: Con: Pulchra Es
          6. E 8719: Antiphona: Paterni Oblita Amoris.../Con: Tu Es Belle/Antienne: Oubliant L'Amour...
          7. E 8719: Con: Duo Seraphim/Psaume 121: J'Etais Dans La Joie/Con: Deux Seraphins/Psalm 121...
          8. E 8719: Antiphoba: In Sancte Trinitatis.../Antienne: Elle Persiste.../Psalmus 126: Si Ce...

          Tracks:

          1. E 8720: Con: Audi Coelum/Con: Ecoute Ciel/Con: Audi Coelum/Con: Hore Himmel
          2. E 8720: Antiphona: Trinitate Venerata.../Antienne: Venerant La Trinite.../Psaume 147: Loue,...
          3. E 8720: Son Sopra Sancta Maria
          4. E 8720: Hymnus: Ave Maris Stella/Sonate Sur 'Sainte Marie'/Hyme: Salut, Etoile De La...
          5. E 8720: Antiphoba: Hodie Beata Barbara.../Antienne: Aujourd'Hui La Bienheureuse Barbe...

          Amazon.com

          There are more than one dozen recordings of Monteverdi's great masterpiece, the Vespers of 1610, a distinction reserved for very few works and composers from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. With this kind of attention, you'd think that this substantial work for choir, soloists, and instruments would be more easily accessible--but it is in fact a structurally complex and musically intricate compilation of hymns, antiphons, and psalms, concluding with a magnificent setting of the Magnificat. Most recordings can't seem to overcome the strategic and technical problems of presenting such a three-dimensional work on a recording. But this one is different: the music literally comes alive and grabs our attention. If you're in the market for Monteverdi's Vespers, look no further. This is the most dynamic, dramatic version on disc. --David Vernier

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Satisfying Vespers.......1998-11-25

          Many consider this the standard modern version. Certainly in terms of singing and playing, Savall achieves what seems to me to be just the right tone. This is glorious, highly varied music, and this version brings out most of what is packed into this rich score. The recorded sound is excellent.
          Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            		Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610

            Manufacturer: Astree Naive
            ProductGroup: Music
            Binding: Audio CD

            All Works by MonteverdiAll Works by Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
            ASIN: B00004R7PR
            Release Date: 1999-01-01

            Tracks:

            1. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Intonatio: Deus in adiutorium - Responsorium: Domine ad adiuvandum - Choeur
            2. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Antiphona: Angelicam vitam - Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus
            3. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Concerto: Nigra sum - Gian Paolo Fagotto
            4. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Antiphona: In Dei orto sata - Psalmus 112: Laudate pueri
            5. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Concerto: Pulchra es - Montserrat Figueras
            6. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Antiphona: Paterni oblita amoris - Psalmus 121: Laetatus sum
            7. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Concerto: Duo Seraphim
            8. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Antiphona: In Sancte Trinitatis - Psalmus 126: Nisi Dominus decem vocibus - Choeur

            Tracks:

            1. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Concerto: Audi Coelum
            2. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Antiphona: Trinitate venerata - Psalmus 147: Lauda Jerusalem - Choeur
            3. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Sonata sopra Sancta Maria - Montserrat Figueras
            4. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Hymnus: Ave maris stella
            5. Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610: Antiphona: Hodie beata Barbara Magnificat

            Track Listings:

            1. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto; Clarinet Quintet
            2. Mozart - Horn Concertos ~ Rondeau K. 371, Rondo K. 541 / Greer, PBO, McGegan
            3. Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3; Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter"
            4. Music for Ballet Class, Vol 4
            5. Music for Strings (1992-2002)
            6. Musiques de Matisse Picasso
            7. My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord (#2396)
            8. New York Presence
            9. O Yule Full of Gladness: Songs of Christmas From Around the World
            10. Oswald Kabasta - 1943/44 Broadcasts - Beethoven, et al

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