Monteverdi: Vespers (1610) at Cadogan Hall & Temple Church cond.
Jeffrey Skidmore
A great Monteverdi evening in a performance of the Vespers, carefully prepared and choreographed by Jeffrey Skidmore, giving opportunities for each of Ex Cathedra Consort's fine professional singers to duet and take solos (for which Skidmore sat aside) as well as coming together as a chamber choir of ten. One of my most vivid early musical experiences was of Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 at a performance under Walter Goehr and Michael Tippett, then intriguing but strange music indeed, with Morley College Choir, Recorder Ensemble and Orchestra (Central Hall, Westminster; 5 July 1946). Attendance at tonight's performance was fortuitous; I came across it earlier in the day whilst researching His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts in connection with reviewing their marvellous CD of early Venetian music, The Floating City. At Cadogan Hall, the cornetts doubled on recorders in the Magnificat, the sagbutts gave a rich basis to the ensembles, and there were many echo effects with musicians briefly off stage. The well-filled Cadogan Hall was the perfect ambience visually and its acoustic ideal. It was not clear whether the Edition used had been created for Ex Cathedra? In any event, this was an account of the great Vespers to relish, one which demands to be preserved for TV/DVD. Peter Grahame Woolf [to be repeated tomorrow in BirminghamTown Hall 4 p.m.]
Monteverdi VESPERS & SELVA MORALE E SPIRITUALE Harry Christophers and The Sixteen
Claudio Monteverdi – Vespers of 1610 Temple Church,
London The twenty singers of The Sixteen, with an orchestra of some eighteen, made a splendid sound, Harry Christopher revelling in the auditory possibilities by dispersing his singers around the great church; especially delightful was some of the singing from the famous circular nave, behind this main nave in which we sat. Peter Grahame Woolf MONTEVERDI – SELVA MORALE E SPIRITUALE (1640/1) Messa a 4 da Cappella: Kyrie and Gloria
Credidi
Pianto della Madonna (sopra il Lamento dell’ Arianna)
Credo
Beatus vir (Secondo) Temple Music at Temple Church, 7 November 2011 This programme of works by Monteverdi, a retrospective of his works for the Church, looking back to his fruitful tenure at St Mark's, Venice, attracted a capacity audience to Temple Church. The Mass a 4 is restrained, in contrast with some of the Psalm settings. The second half of the concert rose to picturesque settings of
Laudate Dominum & Laudate Pueri, with colourful instrumental support and two tenor soloists "vying to outdo each other" in virtuosity. The concert was being broadcast live and is available for a week on BBCR3 Listen Again. Peter Grahame Woolf
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