Festival diary: Monteverdi Vespers

Very much smaller-scale than I'd expected - eight singers (strictly one voice to a part), two violins, 'cello, double bass, harpsichord, organ and two theorbos - but still fabulously rich. This wasn't the setting of 1610, Rinaldo Alessandrini instead choosing to reconstruct the Vespro solenne per la festività di S. Marco using music from the Selva morale e spirituale.

The Beatus vir, probably the best-known of the music performed, was an expected highlight and the Laudate pueri had some surprising harmonies to its name, well in advance of its time.

There were a couple of problems: the tenors stuck out a little bit and one of the sopranos didn't know her music as well as the other, but the overall impression was excellent. The reception Alessandrini and his team of musicians got more than made up for the concert not being sold out.

(23rd August 2005)

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