Search - Claudio Monteverdi, René Jacobs, Concerto Vocale :: Monteverdi: Vespro della beata Vergine / Kiehr, Borden, Scholl, Bwen, Torres, Murgatroyd, Abete, Draijer; Jacobs

Stunningly Glorious Monteverdi

11/24/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great album. I like Jacobs's version even better than the highly praised Savall one. The singers are just right for the parts, and the varied components of the orchestra fall perfectly into place. Particularly good are the striking rhythmic variations on the words "Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis." I also enjoy the interpolated gregorian chants. The sound is excellent."

The best performance of the Monteverdi vespers

J.H.A.M. Hilberink | Maastricht Netherlands Europe | 12/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are over the years many issues of this vespers on vinyl and CD recorded. This one of Rene Jacobs is definetely the best I heard. It is certainly not an English approach of this remarkable music. I would say it is more an Italian way of looking at this music. The sound Jacobs achieves on this recording is Italian not by incident. The performers are well known in the world of acient music: Maria Christina Kier, Andreas Scholl, and many others, and of course Jacobs himself, they know all much about Italian music. Jacobs tried to use Italian instruments and went extremely far in this, with a remarkable success: Even the organ has a real Italian sound, it is not the usual organ box that one uses as continueum , no this organ has open pipes, as used in the organs of Italy in the 16th and 17th century. Even the in those times new and very popular 'Voce Humana' stop of the organ, with 2 choirs of open pipes in special tune with each other so you get a modulating voice, is used by the organist in this performance. It gives a exiting contrasting effect: as the whole CD is a very exciting experience. The technical quality of the CD is very good, so this is the record that I would recommend to all of the ancient music lovers, with a special remark: listen to the details of this performance. J.Hilberink"

Great

Arnout Koeneman | the netherlands | 05/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was really curious about this recording of the Vespers.

Knowing Jacobs in Handel and Mozart opera's: very dramatic and colorful readings, with a healthy "disrespect" for the composer's score, I was expecting a dazzling, rich and colorful reading of the Mariavespers.



Having lived for years with only one recording of this musical masterpiece, Garrido's recording on K617, which fullfilled all my musical Monteverdi needs - the Gardiner, Picket and Parrott recordings I don't like that much - I thought it would be welcome to introduce an alternative version to myself...et voila!: Jacob's recording.



I bought a special "deluxe" livre (hardbound booklet) edition for half the price of the normal jewelcase version (?? beats me why the newer, more gorgeously looking edition was cheaper ??)

A nice booklet in colour with beautiful pictures of manuscripts and paintings of the well beloved Maria and very interesting things to read...I was perfectly satisfied.



But then I was surprised to hear rather stately and slow tempi.

Jacobs is rich in textures, warm in his orchestral treatment, but nowhere as rich, colorful and dramatic as Garrido in his superb recording on K617.



I was very disappointed at first, where's the Jacobs I know from all his excellent Handel and Mozart recordings?



The tempi overall are too slow and measured and Jacobs isn't consistent in maintaining a certain tempo in a movement.

It doesn't sound very natural to slow down (again) at certain points after a quicker tempo has set in as a contrast to a slower beginning of a part.

My musical intuition would have liked Jacobs maintaining the quicker speed throughout that part and not returning to the slower tempo of the beginning.



But I'm starting to like it a lot better.

I really need to listen without a (quicker paced) reference (Garrido's Vespers) and then it works pretty well.

The performance is broad, deep and warm.

Because of the slower tempi the music is more insightful, all vocal parts are more easily to detach from each-other.

Garrido's choir is a mess in comparison with Jacobs - especially in comparison with clean-cut English performers like Parrott and Picket.



Jacobs' choir is very transparant, but without sounding too clean and "white"

Solo voices are bigger, warmer and rounder than say in Parrott's, Gardiner's and Junghanel's recordings.

There is a similar darkness in Jacobs' reading I associate with Savall's recordings, although I haven't heard Savall's Maria Vespers yet.



Parrott, Picket, Junghanel and Gardiner are too clean-cut.

And though I do not mind a one voice per part reading (a Parrott -in some parts of his recording -, Picket and Junghanel), the vocals and orchestra must have a certain weight to do Monteverdi's music justice...in my opinion ofcourse.

Parrott's and Junghanel's way might work well with Bach - Parrott's Mass in B for instance is quite wonderful - but in Monteverdi I like to hear a full-bodied tone and timbre, more passion and a rougher edge if possible.



For now there isn't a "one voice per part reading" I like.

Maybe Alessandrini's recording will add that certain italic blood in his reading

I will check his recording.



The recording of Jacobs' Vespers is beautiful: warm timbered, detailed and with a dark resonance.

I got used to the slower tempi and in some parts I certainly like Jacobs better than Garrido.

But Garrido's quicker tempi, the orchestra's folk music-like treatment of the score...its lush sound, the mediterranean blood and warmth of Garrido's reading are elements that are unique in his recording, elements I haven't found in any other recording yet.



But from all the other recordings I listened to (Gardiner, Junghanel, Picket, Parrott and Corboz) Jacobs' reading certainly is the one I like best.

A very nice alternative."