Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine

On this CD:

1. Vespro della beata vergine, for chorus & instruments, SV 206
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Arnold Schoenberg Choir / Vienna Imperial Chapel Choral School / Vienna Concentus Musicus / Tolzner Knabenchor with Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson, Arthur Korn, Philip Langridge
Conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Tracks:

Sinfonia to Cantata #29
Air on a G String
Two-Part Invention in F Major
Two-Part Invention in B-Flat Major
Two-Part Invention in D Minor
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Prelude and Fugue #7 in E-Flat Major
Prelude and Fugue #2 in C
Chorale Prelude "Wachet Auf" Bradenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: III. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: Initial Experiments

Tracks:

Orfeo Suite: Toccata/Ritornello I/Choro II/Ritornello II/Choro II/Ritor
Sonata in G Major
Sonata in D Major
Bourree
Air
Allegro Deciso
Sonata in E Major
Sonata in D Major
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: I. Allegro
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: II. Andante
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: III. Presto
Domine Ad Adjuvandum
Stereo Allignment Tones
Well-Tempered Experiments

Tracks:

Badinerie
Minuet
Bourree
Two-Part Invention in A-Minor
Two-Part Invention in a Major
Sheep May Safely Graze
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Musette in D Major
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Minuet in G Major
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Bist du Bei Mir
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Marche in D Major
Little Fugue in G Minor
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Affettuoso
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: III. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: IV. Menuuetto, Trio I, Polocca, Trio
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: II. Andante
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: III. Allegro Assai
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: II. Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: III. Allegro

Amazon.com

In 1968, keyboardist-composer Wendy Carlos released Switched-On Bach, her bestselling LP featuring baroque music performed on the Moog synthesizer. Carlos intended to spread the gospel of electronic classical music through this quirky release; instead, she sold more albums than Karlheinz Stockhausen could ever dream of, released a few follow-ups, and paved the way for Hot Butter's "Popcorn." Carlos has since become well known for more than just these wacky classical interpretations--she recorded the soundtracks to A Clockwork Orange and Tron and released new works--but the Switched-Ons are the goofy synthesizer recordings that most of us still remember.

No less than Glenn Gould proclaimed, "Carlos's realization of the Fourth Brandenburg Concerto is, to put it bluntly, the finest performance of any of the Brandenburgs--live, canned, or intuited--I've ever heard." We're not sure what he meant by that, but if you have half the enthusiasm Gould did for this music, check out this box set. All four of Carlos's baroque-gone-space-age LPs from the '70s are included here--Switched-On Bach, The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, Switched-On Bach II, and Switched-On Brandenburgs--completely remastered in all their stereophonic glory and containing bonus tracks (the fourth CD is even enhanced for use on your computer). The liner notes weigh in at around 150 pages, filled with photos and background information even on the evolution of Carlos's studio (you get the original LP notes in their entirety, too). The music? It's hilarious, absolutely riveting, and--whether Scarlatti, Bach, Handel, or Monteverdi--played successfully by Carlos and her battery of special effects. For the lover of the eclectic or the classical fan who knows how to let loose, this is a box set to get. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Truly A Masterpiece!.......2007-05-11

This collection is a treasured addition to our music library here at home, in part because I have long been a fan of the artist. Also, because we all enjoy the spin that Wendy puts on many of the classical works of the old masters of music. I heartily recommend this boxed set to any listener who wants to be delighted by the sounds of the Moog synthesizer, played in a masterful way by Wendy Carlos...

Definitive, historical, all-in-one.......2007-03-04

If you've loved the Walter/Wendy Carlos recordings over the years, this is a great way to get them all in one place. If you are at all interested in the production process, this is a _must have_ item.

Some have complained about the discussion tracks at the end of some CDs; I guess I can see how some might find them annoying. For pure ambience, you'll want to program your CD player to not play them, or just rip these CDs and burn a new copy minus those tracks.

One minor complaint I have is that the Brandenburgs are scattered throughout. I don't think it should have been all that bad to just have some of them duplicated. But I do understand the rationale, including them as is on the albums where they appeared individually, and then only putting the rest on the actual Brandenburgs pair of CDs. Personally, I love being able to listen to all the Brandenburgs straight through, so again I just made new versions of CD for my own use with them all together in their original order.

And of course, these days so many people aren't even listening to their CDs on the CD player. The music is ripped and then played using an MP3 player, computer, or similar device. Making playlists for your preferred track arrangements obviates any of the above complaints.

Regardless, I think that the value of having an all-in-one collection of these classic electronic instruments and performances far outweighs any minor issues regarding one's opinion of the choice of production arranagement.

Súper Colección.......2007-01-03

Una joya de arte, en su estuche y con un gran contenido de los primeros volúmenes de esta gran interprete.
Simplemente una gran colección para los fanaticos de Wendy

Walter's best.......2006-06-09

I know record and CD covers have been reprinted to reflect that Walter goes by the name of Wendy now. But this is all his best stuff in one collection. If you never had "Switched-On Brandenburgs Vol. 1 & 2" on LP and didn't get them either on CD back in 1987, then this is your chance to get them along with bits from his other works. Also get his other masterpiece "By Request" and the soundtrack of the movie "A Clockwork Orange". That's all you need if you are a fan of 60's analog synthesizer classical music, which only Walter was doing at that time.

Loved It All Over Again.......2005-08-03

When I heard the first piece from the first album as a young boy, I was completely hooked. I don't think Wendy could have picked a better song to start with. The power and expansiveness of the Sinfonia is surely what Bach must have heard in his head when he wrote it over 300 years ago.

Honestly, some of the music on these albums is so good you may never hear Bach, Handel, or Scarlatti the same way again.

When I saw this boxed set for sale, I purchased it with a little trepidation, unsure if it would live up to my memory of it and not sure what my wife or daughter would make of it. I'm glad I got it, though. It's a wonderful recording and the two bonus tracks are fun to listen to. In fact, I wish CDs had the same "commentary" tracks that DVDs have as I would have enjoyed hearing more about how this recording was put together.

Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers

Average customer rating:

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

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

ASIN: B000031WJB
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versiculus, Canto Gregoriano: Deus In Adiutorium
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Responsorium: Domine Ad Adiuvandum Me Festina
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona, Canto Gregoriano
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus I: Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Nigra Sum
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona II, Canto Gregoriano: Maria Virgo Assumpta Est
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus II: Psalmus 112: Laudate Pueri
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Pulchra Es
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona III, Canto Gregoriano: In Odorem Unguentorum Tuorum...
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus III: Psalmus 121: Laetatus Sum
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona IV, Canto Gregoriano: Benedicta Filia Tua Domino
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus IV: Psalmus 126: Nisi Dominus
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Audi Coelum
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona V, Canto Gregoriano: Pulchra Es Et Decora, Filia...
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Psalmus IV:: Psalmus V: Psalmus 147: Lauda Jerusalem Dominum
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Capitulum, Canto Gregoriano: In Omnibus Requiem Quaesivi
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Hymnus: Ave Maris Stella
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus Et Responsorium
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona VI, Canto Gregoriano: Hodie Maria Virgo Caelos Ascendit
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Son Sopra Sancta Maria

Tracks:

Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Magnificat
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Oratio, Canto Gregoriano: Dominus Vobiscum
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus, Canto Gregoriano: Dominus Vobiscum
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Con: Duo Seraphim
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Antiphona Beatae Mariae Virginis: Salve Regina
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Versus Et Responsorium, Canto Gregoriano: Ora Pro Nobis
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Oratio, Canto Gregoriano: Domine Vobiscum
Vespro Della Beata Vergine 1610: Conclusio, Canto Gregoriano: Divinum Auxilium Maneat Semper...
Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 109: Dixit Dominus
Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 110: Confitebor Tibi Domine
Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 111: Beatus Vir
Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 112: Laudate Pueri
Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Psalmus 116: Laudate Dominum
Selva Morale E Spirituale 1641: Salve Regina

Customer Reviews:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection

Average customer rating:

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection Review
The Greatest Choral Masterpieces
Not that bad... at first
Gread Idea, Great Performance
Dies Irae

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Sutherland, Joan | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The #1 Choral Album
Mass: The Most Powerful, Uplifting & Passionate Music You Will Ever Hear
Choral Masterpieces
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ASIN: B0000041NV
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Dies Irac: Requiem - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Chorus Of THe Hebrew Slaves: Nabucco - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Entrance Of The Toreadors: Carmen - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
An die Freude: Symphony No. 9 - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Zadok the Priest - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Bridal Chorus: Lohengrin - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Easter Hymn: Cavellera Rusticana - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Requiem Aeternam: Requiem - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Pavane - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Gloria In Excelsis Deo: Gloria - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
For Unto Us A Child Is Born: Messiah - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
O Isis und Osiris: The Magic Flute - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Credo: Messe Solennelle Di Sainte Cecile - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
I Vow To Thee, My Country - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL
Final Chorus: Turandot - DIES IRAE-ESSENTIAL CHORAL COL

Tracks:

O Fortuna: Carmina Burana - Various Artists
Trimphal March: Aida - Various Artists
Deus in adiutorium - Domine ad adiuvaum: Vespro Della Beata Vergine - Various Artists
See, The Conqu'ring Hero Comes: Judas Maccabeus - Various Artists
In The Hall Of The Mountain King: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - Various Artists
Magnificat anima mea: Magnificat - Various Artists
Agnus Dei: Requiem - Various Artists
Humming Chorus: Madama Butterfly - Various Artists
Ich will hier bei dir stehen: St. Mathew's Passion - Various Artists
Entry Of The Guest: Tannhauser - Various Artists
Auto0da-fe' Chorus: Don Carlo - Various Artists
Polovtsian Dances: Prince Igor - Various Artists
Anvil Chorus: Il Trovatore - Various Artists
Land Of Hope And Glory: Pomp And Circumstance - Various Artists
'Hallelujah' Chorus: Messiah - Various Artists

Amazon.com

This certainly is a desirable compendium of some of the most famous large-scale choral pieces, primarily drawn from Deutsche Grammophon's catalog of operas and oratorios. Among the 30 selections on this two-disc set are choruses from Carmen, Lohengrin, Aida, Madame Butterfly, and Il Trovatore, as well as Messiah, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, and Verdi's Requiem. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Dies Irae-The Essential Choral Collection Review.......2007-07-07

This 2 disc collection of Choral music is a great introduction to classical music. Many of these selections have been made famous in movies and will be recognizable to even the most casual listener. I bought this album for O Fortuna by Carl Orff, a song that is featured in Excalibur and Jackass: The Movie. The music on these CDs is great. I especially like Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven, Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg, and Requiem by Mozart.

Other albums recommended:
Amadeus: Original Soundtrack Recording
25 Beethoven Favorites
Excalibur: Original Movie Soundtrack

The Greatest Choral Masterpieces.......2005-10-02

This collection is outstanding, featuring the best choral works from operas and oratorios in classical repertoire. It begins with the fiery and intense Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem. This piece is sublimely performed by the Berlin forces. It's followed by the anthem-like Va Pensiero from Verdi's early opera Nabucco, as conducted by Sinopoli and sounds maravelous. A brief excerpt from Beethoven's Ninth "The Ode to Joy" is a treat. The Coronation Anthem from Zadok The Priest by Handel is well-executed and powerful. The famous Bridal March (better known as "Here Comes The Bride") from Wagner's opera Lohengrin is sumptuous. A lot of this music is grandiose, and all the famous grand choruse from the grand operas like Aida (The Triumphal March scene) and the Inquistion Scene from Don Carlo. What is missing however, and I would have enjoyed, is the wondrous Finale to Wagner's Die Meistersanger which features a great chorus in praise of art. My favorite piece on here is the little known Mass of Saint Cecilia by Charles Gounod. It is absolutely gorgeous and epic sounding. The underrated but great conductor Igor Markevitch conducts. The famous O Fortuna from Orff's Carmina Burana is also on here, not to mention Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah and other pieces from Judas Maccabeus. This is a great collection of chorus masterpieces that any fan would appreciate or if you are studying to sing in chorues yourself.

Not that bad... at first.......2005-03-26

There's plenty of free samples to this CD, and I agree that this is a great collection of music. Chances are you won't find a collection of songs, all of them with angelic choirs, as great as this. When I got it I was quite happy with it, but when I heard the same songs done with different conductors I thought to myself: 'Hey, why doesn't it sound like my CD?' It's the quality that I don't like. For example, Dias Irae is a great song, and it sounds pretty good on the CD, but compare it to another version and this one is slower, the chorus is off key, and it doesn't have that intense emotion. Same thing with O Fortuna, it's a great song, but the chorus is just terrible on this CD, the instruments are lacking in emotion: percussion doesn't add that extra 'oomph' to the bass drum, the cymbals don't have enough emphasis, the chorus sounds like they're about to go asleep, and the dynamics between fortissimo and pianissimo have little effort.

I'd recomend this if you have little cash to blow on a lot of good songs, otherwise you might want to search for a bunch of seperate CDs with the same songs.

Gread Idea, Great Performance.......2003-03-03

This CD should move people in a way that few other recordings can. The one word to describe many of the works is "exalted". This is not music for dinner parties but instead should be heard in solitary contemplation of all the great artists and their efforts in creating such an inspiring recording.

Dies Irae.......2000-03-07

I have an extensive CD collection, but since purchasing this CD, it has become my very favorite. This music sent chills down my spine. I felt transported to a different world....What amazing voices! I intend to give this cd as xmas presents to family and friends.

Average customer rating:

Monteverdi's stunning resume piece
One of the Greatest Recordings of All Time
Eternally innovative in pure tradition
Great CD - where is the video?
Extraordinary

Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine

Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 45

ASIN: B0000057DL
Release Date: 1990-10-12

Tracks:

Side 1 - 1. Versiculus & Responsorium: Deus In Adiutorium
Side 1 - 2. Psalums: Dixit Dominus
Side 1 - 3. Concerto: Nigra Sum
Side 1 - 4. Psalmus: Laudate Pueri
Side 1 - 5. Concerto: Pulchra Es
Side 1 - 6. Psalmus: Laetatus Sum
Side 2 - 7. Concerto: Duo Seraphim
Side 2 - 8. Psalmus: Nisi Dominus
Side 2 - 9. Concerto: Audi Coelum
Side 2 - 10. Psalmus: Lauda Jerusalem

Tracks:

Side 3 - 11. Sonata Sopra Sancta Maria
Side 3 - 12. Hymnus: Ave Maris Stella
Side 3 - 13a. Magnificat A 7/Magnificat/Anima Mea/Et Exultavit/Quia Respexit/Quia Fecit/Et Misericordia/Fecit Potentiam/Deposuit Potentes/Esurientes Implevit/Susepit Israel/Sicut Locutus Est/Gloria Patri Et Filio/Sicut Erat In Principio
Side 4 - 13b. Magnificat A 6/Magnificat/Anima Mea/Et Exultavit/Quia Respexit/Quia Fecit/Et Misericordia/Fecit Potentiam/Deposuit Potentes/Esurientes Implevit/Suscepit Israel/Sicut Locutus Est/Gloria Patri Et Filio/Sicut Erat In Principio

Amazon.com

John Eliot Gardiner's 1974 recording of Monteverdi's extraordinary Vespers of 1610 was a landmark, helping establish the modern reputations of both music and conductor. In 1989, to celebrate the silver anniversary of his Monteverdi Choir (named in honor of this work), he recorded the cycle again--this time live in the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. He made use of resources he didn't have 15 years earlier, like period instruments and, for soloists, a mix of early-music specialists (Ann Monoyios and Michael Chance) and opera singers (the young Bryn Terfel). As a bonus, he recorded both the standard version of the Magnificat for voices and instruments and Monteverdi's published alternative setting for six voices and organ. Gardiner gives a vigorous, theatrical, yet very detailed account of this music, caressing some phrases, thundering out others, using lots of carefully judged crescendos and decrescendos. On its terms, it works, thanks largely to the wondrous Monteverdi Choir, which can do anything asked of it. But there seems little of the sacred in the performance and almost nothing of the spontaneous or natural--the carefully calibrated effects can come across as overdetermined. In his booklet essay, Gardiner makes quite a point of his fidelity to the published score, yet he liberally adds instruments to double the voices, and he takes an odd liberty with the much-loved duet-trio "Duo seraphim": at the close of each half of the motet, at the words "plena est omnis terra," he has the tenors of his chorus take over from his soloists. If you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing, go for Andrew Parrott's marvelous one-singer-per-part performance or (for those who want a full chorus) for the version of William Christie or that of René Jacobs; if these additions don't faze you and you want a high-powered, adrenaline-rush performance, you'll find it here. --Matthew Westphal

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Monteverdi's stunning resume piece.......2006-10-22

What a job application. Looking for work around 1610, Claudio Monteverdi composed this massive work in hopes of Vatican employment. He even dedicated it to his anticipated future boss, Pope Paul V - kissing up has a long tradition in the Western world. Inexplicably, the Vatican wasn't moved. Instead, Monteverdi accepted the patronage of the Doge in Venice and became their Maestro di Capella in 1613. Whether or not this masterpiece ever received a public performance during his life remains controversial amongst music historians. Either way, it must have suitably padded his already impressive resume. So Monteverdi's arguably most famous work originated from a job search. Stranger things have happened.

"Vespro Della Beata Vergine" or "Vespers of 1610" follows the Roman Catholic structure for evening mass as laid out in the liturgical canonical hours (also known as "Vespers"; "Vesper" means "evening" in Latin). The first CD opens with the traditional chanted versicle (Deus in adiutorium meum intende, etc.) and suddenly explodes with a riveting choir belting out the doxology (Gloria Patri et Filio). Accompanying instrumentation adds to the effect. This work truly starts with an unforgettable bang. This helps emphasize the oft-repeated doxology (all of the succeeding Psalms conclude with this same stanza). Next, the work alternates between five Psalms and four Concertos, then continues with a sontata, a hymn, and finishes with an enthralling "Magnificat." Though the work's title explictly references the Virgin Mary, only two pieces revolve around her. Subsequently, some scholars have argued that this work could get structured around any Saint, and Monteverdi simply chose the Virgin Mary as a marketing ploy for the Vatican. Not only that, others dispute the location of the more secular Concertos. Two of these, "Nigra Sum" and "Pulchra Es" from "Song of Solomon", were probably a little saucy for religious works of the day. The ordering here follows the original manuscript.

Amazing music pervades these CDs. "Dixit Dominus" opens with ethereal singing, suggesting drifting angels or the clouds slowly parting. Then it fulminates like thunder as the choir sings the words of God: "Sit at my right hand, and I shall make of your enemies a footstool for you." "Laetatus sum" begins with a simple walking harpsichord line that recurs (one of Monteverdi's ritornellos), develops into dizzying choral arrangements, and concludes with a devastating "Amen." Though dancing probably wasn't intended, "Nisi Dominus" provides a sprightly enough rhythm to inspire any lazy feet, all the way to its final gentle resolution. "Ave maris stella" provides by far the most moving choral piece of the set. Ineffably ethereal notes levitate on air for nearly nine minutes. The final Magnificat remains stunning beyond words. This set includes two versions: one for seven parts and one for six.

John Eliot Gardiner was accused of taking liberties with Monteverdi's score. Apparently he embellished instrumentation and added voices for emphasis. Some even accused him of siphoning the sacred from the music. In other words, as Monteverdi straddled the Reniassance and the Baroque, this 1989 recording tips the scales in favor of highly charged Baroque. Those looking for a passionate interpretation of "Vespers" will find it here. Regardless, this release caused a surge in Gardiner's reputation as well as bolstering the then nascent authentic instrument movement. He could not have chosen a better recording locale: the gape-inducing Byzantine style St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. Monteverdi's old stomping ground.

Monteverdi still doesn't have the name recognition of a Mozart or a Beethoven. Nonetheless, recordings such as this one doubtlessly helped direct attention to the once forgotten modernizer of Reniassance music. Recently, Monteverdi's name has experienced a rebirth. Many consider his "L'Orfeo" as the beginning of popular opera and his madrigals as the origin of modern song arrangement. His "Vespers" alone, sometimes equated to Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" and often called his most impressive work, should more than solidfy his name in the history of Western music for some time to come.

One of the Greatest Recordings of All Time.......2004-12-22

I discovered Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 while listening to the radio in my car. I happened to flip to a channel playing the "Magnificat" and I was utterly mesmerized, haunted in fact by the sound until I chased down this CD.

This recording is both profounding beautiful and incredibly moving. You get a sense both of Monteverdi's great gifts as a composer, but also a sense of the sacred as well. Indeed, Monteverdi approached his subject matter with appropriate reverence and, it would seem, a bit of Divine inspiration. A tour of late-Renaissance/early-Baroque musical styles, the Vespers never bore, always providing yet another delightful surprise.

In short, this disc is a must for every music lover. If Monteverdi's Vespers doesn't touch you in some way, there's something wrong with you.

Eternally innovative in pure tradition.......2003-07-31

Monteverdi lived a very long time in a century deeply troubled by all kinds of ills and changes. The Black Death was still there. The christian religion was exploding into a myriad of rivaling churches and affiliations. Calvin fought against Luther and both were rejected by the catholics. It was also a time in which science started leaping forward, transforming the old traditional vision of teh world into something that opened the eyes of humanity to the universe. The earth suddenly became round and started turning around the sun. The new world had just been discovered and the old world was a battlefield for nations and kings or emperors, at times bishops and cardinals. It was a time of uncertainty because of change and it was dangerous to advocate that change a little bit too much. Giordano Bruno was grilled alive in Rome for his philosophy in 1600 and Galileo nearly died in a similar way. Many catholics or protestants were exterminating one another. A new form of art was also appearing, even in church music. Pope Paul V went as far as excomunicating that new art, the stilo nuovo.
Monteverdi tries to give a new grandeur to some religious celebrations to represent, to bring back a certain stability in this moving universe. These Vespers are typical of this attempt. He goes back to the traditional text of such vespers and yet he makes it tremendously modern. Modern with the strong evocation of the Virgin as a beautiful woman, what's more black with the famous Nigra sum, and yet that is also coming from the tradition. But he also tries to stabilize the musical world by using the stilo antico along with the stilo nuovo. The words and the singing often go back to the very rich gregorian polyphony of the stilo antico while the music, the instruments of it, the harmony of it are more in the line of the stilo nuovo. This attempt produces a music that opens the door to the development of what is known as baroque music issuing directly from the tremendous innovating style of the Renaissance.
These Vespers have thus become eternal, as the crossroads between ages, cultures, between the past, the present and the future. Monteverdi is in a way a man of his time but also of our time.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

Great CD - where is the video?.......2002-02-15

Could we please get the video version on the DVD? I have the laserdisc but it would be great to have it remastered, perhaps even in multichannel audio? (hint, hint...)

Extraordinary.......2000-09-03

This is simply an extraordinary performance from both a documentary and aesthetic perspective.

Recorded at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, where Monteverdi was composer-in-residence from 1613, the sound quality is outstanding. I've heard so many choral performances recorded in Renaissance churches that sound lost and empty. The engineers have done something special here -- they have produced a disc that SOUNDs like what I imagine a performance of the Vespers would have sounded to Monteverdi's ears.

The performances themselves are about the best I have heard from the Monteverdis and the soloists. Not one voice sounds out of harmony or rhythm, and not one instrument sounds a false not. That is almost unheard of in a live recording.

I'm not sure that this is the definitive recording of this work, but I haven't heard many that have come close. Frankly, though the one-voice-per-part approach favoured by some HIP ensembles would be totally inappropriate. Venice wanted its music BIG and that's how Monteverdi wrote it.

Monteverdi - Vespers of 1610 (Vespro della Beata Vergine) / Chandler, R. Croft, Atkinson, Numura, Boston Baroque, Pearlman
Average customer rating:

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 Monteverdi | Monteverdi, Claudio | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610/Venetian Vespers

Handel - Messiah / Clift · Robbin · Fowler · Ledbetter · Boston Baroque, Pearlman

Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna

Mozart - Requiem / Ziesak, Maultsby, R. Croft, D. Arnold, Boston Baroque, Pearlman

Monteverdi - L'Orfeo / Rolfe Johnson, Dawson, von Otter, Argenta, M. Nichols, Tomlinson, Chance, Baird; Gardiner

ASIN: B000003D2F
Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

I. Deus In Adjutorium - Domine Ad Adjuvandum - Christopheren Nomura
Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
II. Psalm 109: Dixit Dominus - Christopheren Nomura
III. Motet: Nigra Sum - Christopheren Nomura
Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
IV. Psalm 112: Laudate Pueri - Christopheren Nomura
V. Motet: Pulchra Es - Christopheren Nomura
Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
VI. Psalm 121: Laetatus Sum - Christopheren Nomura
VII. Motet: Duo Seraphim - Christopheren Nomura
Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
VIII. Psalm 126: Nisi Dominus - Christopheren Nomura
IX. Motet: Audi Coelum - Christopheren Nomura
Antiphon - Christopheren Nomura
X. Psalm 147: Lauda Jerusalem - Christopheren Nomura

Tracks:

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

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.

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.

Croft's Orphee.......2004-04-26

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

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.

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.

Average customer rating:

Stellar performance!
First choice amongst one-to-a-part versions

Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000231VD0
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Album Description

This highly anticipated recording of Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine is a new construction by Rinaldo Alessandrini. Alessandrini is one of the world's foremost Monteverdi authorities, and an all-around expert on Baroque music. His 2003 recording of Vivaldi's Vespers garnered a Gramophone Award in 2004. Monteverdi is one of our most important composers, having essentially built the bridge from the Renaissance period to the Baroque. He faced both criticism and fame in his time, as he broke tradition and rule to achieve musical goals that would eventually become the standard.

Customer Reviews:

Stellar performance!.......2006-02-25

I agree wholeheartedly with Johji Josquin, who points out the key elements to this splendid performance--it is sung "one to a part" and closely miked--which combine to help to make the music so immediate and alive, my head spun around from my desk at the first sung notes and I caught myself staring at the speaker. I have four other versions of these Vespers--Suzuki's on BIS, Gardiner's on London, Harnoncourt's, and Garrido's on K167/Harmonia Mundi--and, though Suzuki's is superb and finely done, this Alessandrini version is the one that brings the music to intimate life.

I don't write amazon reviews, but I must urge any love of Monteverdi a/o baroque choral music to take this performance completely seriously. It is so lovely, achingly so, it reminds me of how I felt the first time I heard any great piece of music.

Fabulously moving, beautiful, and both tenderly and fulsomely performed. Bravo! Really.

First choice amongst one-to-a-part versions.......2005-07-20

The Vesper's by Monteverdi have now achieved the status of a landmark work in the history of music which like the music of J.S. Bach gazes Janus-like into the future as well as backwards to the past. As one of the fathers of opera there is a flair and drama that looks forward to the Baroque era while at the same time - as a work written to try to impress the conservative tastes of the Roman papacy - it looks backwards with its complex part writing in the form of parody of a mass by Nicolas Gombert, In Ilio Temporo. Despite Monteverdi's acknowledgement of the rich polyphonic traditions established by the Prima Prattica, his fusion of this with radical new elements appears to have rather disconcerted the papacy and Monteverdi came away from this venture empty handed. I can only imagine the bitterness of the dissappointed this would have caused him as he has clearly put heart and soul into this extraordinary composition, for which only prosterity would acknowledge him long after his death.

Renaldo Alessandrini's reputation has been largely built around his recordings of Monteverdi's music and so the recording of the Monteverdi Vespers is something of a genuine event. The results are everything you could have wished for - even if some of the more dogmatic critics were surprisingly sniffy in their reaction. I too usually tend to fight shy of one-to-a-part performances but when it is done with as much elan as it is here it totally silences all criticism. I love the subtle moudling of phrasing, decoration, and tempi that a smaller ensemble with a highly select group of the best singers allows. The results here are more than just merely refreshing for often they are totally revelatory.

This recording takes pride of precedence amongst one-to-a-part performances of the Vespers. If you have enjoyed Alessandrini's Monteverdi before then get this version without a moment's hesitation. If you dogmatically refuse to have any truck with one-to-a-part then I suggest you go for the Suzuki on BIS - that recording also has a wonderfully ecstatic spontaneity and powerful grasp of the overall inspiration of the work as virtually no other. Really it is a matter of taste which you pick - they are both excellent.

The recording quality here is stunningly vivid and alive as you would expect from Naive. It is however somewhat closely miked - it sounds like you are sitting in the front row near the stage. Still, it is a vivid audiophile quality experience full of wonderfully rich detail, that stands in contrast to the more recessed mid-hall balance of the BIS recording.

Monteverdi: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin

Average customer rating:

Marvelously Intimate Monteverdi

Monteverdi: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000013VY
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Domine ad adiuvandum
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Psalm 109: Dixit Dominus
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Concerto: Nigra sum
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Psalm 112: Laudate pueri dominum
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Concerto: Pulchra es
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Psalm 121: Laetatus sum
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Concerto: Duo seraphim
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Psalm 126: Nisi Dominus
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Concerto: Audi coelum
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Psalm 147: Lauda Ierusalem

Tracks:

Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Sonata: Sancta Maria ora pro nobis
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Hymn: Ave maris stella
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Magnificat
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Et exultavit
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Quia respexit
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Quia fecit mihi magna
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Et misericordia
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Fecit potentiam
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Deposuit potentes de sede
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Esurientes implevit bonis
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Suscepit Israel
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Sicut locutus est
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Gloria Patri
Vespers Of The Blessed Virgin: Magnificat: Sicut erat in principio

Amazon.com

This is the minimalist's Monteverdi Vespers: only eight singers and 11 instrumentalists, no added plainchant or instrumental music to make up a complete Vespers service--just the music Monteverdi published, performed by the minimum possible number of musicians. In fact, Monteverdi most likely composed these pieces for solo voices (as was standard practice in 17th-century Italy), so it's no surprise that the Scholars' performance sounds thoroughly credible. The voices aren't as luscious as those of the famous singers on higher-priced versions, but they have a pure, youthful sound that suits Monteverdi well. Occasional flatness from the sopranos and cornetts aside, the execution is fine; singers and instrumentalists both add some interesting and stylish embellishments. For those on a tight budget, this version would make a fine introduction to this extraordinary work; at the budget price, Monteverdi collectors can gladly add it to their shelves as well, flaws notwithstanding. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Marvelously Intimate Monteverdi.......2002-08-03

The Scholars Baroque Ensemble is a small group of British singers and period instrumentalists that records for the inexpensive Naxos label. The SBE's singers (about 12 in number!) furnish both chorus and soloists, which is to say that you will not encounter celebrity vocalists here or in any SBE/Naxos production. Still, this performance of Monteverdi's sublime 1610 Vespers joins other noteworthy Scholars/Naxos recordings of Bach (St. John Passion; Motets), Handel ('Messiah'), and Purcell ('Dido & Aeneas'; 'The Faery Queene') near the top of my list of recommendable budget-priced recordings. As with all its recordings, the SBE provides a chamber-scale performance of music that is often performed as polychoral spectacle by much larger groups. I find the intimacy of the SBE's approach refreshing; others might legitimately prefer a larger sound and gravitate to recordings by the likes of John Eliot Gardner or Nikolaus Harnoncourt. And even if you do prefer a smaller scale performance of the Monteverdi Vespers, direct competition for SBE/Naxos comes from baroque veteran Andrew Parrott on a pair of EMI CDs. Parrott's fine performance is also budget priced, employs star singers (Emma Kirkby, for example) and sounds considerably more polished than the SBE's. Call me perverse, but I rather prefer the Naxos recording anyway. While a bit rough around the edges, the sheer enthusiasm of the SBE is winning. Moreover, Naxos provides a suitably rich and resonant recording acoustic so that, although performed chamber-scale, the grandeur of the music isn't at all slighted. In short, the freshness and astonishing beauty of Monteverdi's glorious music registers throughout. Lovely!

Celestial Christmas: Special Collection Seasonal Music

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Celestial Christmas: Special Collection Seasonal Music

Manufacturer: Celestial Harmonies
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Christmas Concerti

ASIN: B000059WL7
Release Date: 1996-10-14

Tracks:

Conditor alme siderum (excerpt) - Capella antiqua Munchen/Konrad Ruhland
Intro: Domine ad adiuvandum me festina Deus in adiutorium from Marienvesper - Arnold-Schonberg Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden/Choralschola der...
L'Orfeo (excerpt) - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Fantasia: Three parts on a ground in D, Z.731 - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Da pacem Domine - Alsfelder Vokalensemble/Wolfgang Helbich
Gloria patri et filio et spiritui sancto - Alsfelder Vokalensemble/Wolfgang Helbich
Magnificat (excerpt) from Marienvesper - Arnold-Schonberg Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden/Choralschola der...
Fant from Ste No.2 in F - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Adagio from Capriccio stravagante - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
In nomine from Ste No.3 in B - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Adagio from Capriccio stravagante - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Hymnus: Ave maris stella (excerpt) from Marienvesper - Arnold-Schonberg-Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden/Choralschola der...
Arioso from Capriccio for Hpd BWV 992 - Gustav Leonhardt
Chorales 'Wie soll ich dich empfangen', 'Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein' & 'Wir singen dir in... - Wiener Sangerknaben & Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger/Concentus musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Sonatina from Cantata 106 - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Adagio from Con for Two Hpd in c BWV 1060 - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Chorale 'Herr, ich hoff' je, du werdest die in keiner Not verlassen' from Cantata 184 - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale Leitung/Philippe Herreweghe/Leonhardt-Consort...
Largo e pno from Con grosso IV in a, op.6 No.4 - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Chorale 'Lobe den Herren, was in mir ist, lobe den Namen' from Cantata 137 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Partitas 1, 2, 6 & 5 from Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan - Siegfried Hildenbrand
Chorales 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' & 'Gloria sei dir gesungen' from Cantata 140 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Chorale 'Jesus bleibet meine Freude' from Cantata 147 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Var 1, 2 & 6 from Partita uber' Wenn wir in hocsten Noten sein' - Wilhelm Krumbach
Chorale 'Dein ist allein die Ehre' from Cantata 41 - Wiener Sangerknaben & Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger/Concentus musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Chorale 'Alleluja! Gelobt sei Gott' from Cantata 110 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Dona nobis pacem from Mass in b BWV 232 - Arnold-Schonberg-Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Concentus musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Var No.10 from Partite diverse sopra: Sei gegrut, Jesu gutig BWV 768 - Herbert Tachezi
Aus meines Herzens Grunde - Wilhelm Krumbach

Album Description

Celestial Christmas is a richly textured musical tapestry that gracefully weaves together selections of sacred choral and instrumental music from the High Renaissance and Baroque eras. The recording journeys through moods of tenderness, solemnity, and joy, as expressed by Johann Sebastian Bach in the numerous choral selections from his Christmas oratorios and cantatas, including the beloved 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' and 'Sleepers, Awake!' as well as the prayer for peace from the glorious 'Mass in B Minor'. Bach is also the featured composer in the many joyful instrumental pieces for harpsichord, flute, and organ. Also included in the program are many exceptionally beautiful pieces, both choral and instrumental, by Claudio Monteverdi, Orlande de Lassus, Henry Purcell, William Lawes, Carlo Farina, Johann Pachelbel, and Georg Friedrich HÃ¤ndel.

Monteverdi: Musica Sacra; Le Passioni dell'Anima

Average customer rating:

Monteverdi: Musica Sacra; Le Passioni dell'Anima

Manufacturer: Opus 111
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine

ASIN: B000067FFU
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Average customer rating:

Gorgeous virtuosity!

The Essential Emma Kirkby

Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000059QF0
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Tracks:

There Were Three Ravens
The Eighth Book Of Madrigals: Lamento Della Ninfa: Amor, Dicea
The Muses Garden For Delights: Might I Redeem Mine Errors
The 1589 Florentine Intermedi: The Harmony Of The Spheres: Dalle Piu Alte Sfere
The First Booke Of Songes Or Ayres: Can She Excuse My Wrongs?
The Eighth Book Of Madrigals: Dolcissimo Uscignolo
Vespro Della Beata Vergine: Con 'Pulchra Es'
Christmas Story SWV 435: The Angels To The Shepherds
Hail! Bright Ceclilia: Thou Tun'st This World Below
Armida Abbandonata, Cantata: Recitativo: Dietro L'orme Fugaci
Armida Abbandonata, Cantata: Aria: Ah! Crudele
Armida Abbandonata, Cantata: Recitativo: Per Te Mi Struggo/Recitativo Accompagnato: O Voi, Dell'inconst
Armida Abbandonata, Cantata: Aria: Venti, Fermate
Armida Abbandonata, Cantata: Recitaiivo: Ma Che Parlo, Che Dico?
Armida Abbandonata, Cantata: Siciliana: In Tanti Affanni Miei
Messiah: Rejoice Greatly
Messiah: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Ascension Oratorio BWV 11: Jesu, Deine Gnadenblicke

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous virtuosity!.......2003-07-03

I have been a fan of Emma Kirkby's for several years, and I believe this collection of early music contains some of her best work. Included are pieces in English, Italian, Latin and German by Handel, Purcell, Bach, Monteverdi, Schutz, et al. Monteverdi's "Lamento della ninfa" is simply lovely. Kirkby easily tackles the gorgeous and complex ornamentation of "The Harmony of the Spheres." The pure drama of Handel's "Armida abbandonata; Venti, fermate" is touching and tragic:

"Winds, cease blowing,
no, do not drown him;
true, he has betrayed me,
yet still I adore him."

How many women have had similar thoughts?

A wonderful collection, in my opinion, and truly essential for Emma Kirkby fans.

Music Track: