Search - Claudio Monteverdi, Robert King, King's Consort :: Monteverdi: Vespers 1610

Monteverdi's Vespers, the two Magnificats (one for six voices, one for seven) and the Missa in illo tempore were composed as a collection in 1610, sort of as a resumé for employment in the north of Italy. This is the first time all the works have appeared in a single, two-CD release. While that makes this a very handy set to own, the fact that the performances are splendid is what recommends it to Monteverdi lovers. There are now at least two dozen recordings of all of this music, and this one is as fine as any. Robert King presents the Vespers without antiphons or plainsong and without extra instrumental interludes. He allows the drama to speak for itself (Monteverdi, one of the great opera composers of all time, knew how to touch his listeners' hearts and minds). His chorus and soloists sing the music and text straight, with no uncalled-for flourishes, and the recording does not attempt to emulate St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. The polyphonic voices are clear, the singers expert and sporting handsome tone (listen to the gloriously acrobatic "Duo Seraphim" for some razzle-dazzle singing). King's tempi in the Vespers, Magnificats, and the Mass seem ideal. A simply beautiful set, highly recommended. --Robert Levine