Claudio Monteverdi

[Karl Henning]

Vespers time!

[North Star]

Vespers time!

Tomorrow it will be!
http://www.youtube.com/v/AINrIk9TtbU

[The new erato]

Vespers time!

Nice for you. I've heard it live a couple of times, an overwhelming experience. Though visiting Venice twice, I've never succeeded in hearing it live in St Marks though, that would have been killer !

[Karl Henning]

It was a blast!  All the singing was delicious, the strings and recorders were wonderful, the brass generally good (was a passage when you had to wonder where the cornettos' intonation went).  Fabulous piece.  There was a pre-concert demo-lecture which, truth to tell, was no better than it probably needed to be.  Three members of the Libella Quartet (they who presently own Annabel Lee) took part (and all of them had solo parts here and there), and I knew at least two others among the ranks of the Cantata Singers.

[petrarch]

It was a blast!  All the singing was delicious, the strings and recorders were wonderful, the brass generally good (was a passage when you had to wonder where the cornettos' intonation went).  Fabulous piece.

Glad I wasn't the only one noticing. I also heard some intonation problems between the two violins; ditto for the vocal soloists, some quite good, others less so. I found the Audi coelum the high point of the concert in all respects. The Ave maris stella had me cringing during some passages.

[Bogey]

Nice catch, Karl.

[HIPster]

It was a blast!  All the singing was delicious, the strings and recorders were wonderful, the brass generally good (was a passage when you had to wonder where the cornettos' intonation went).  Fabulous piece.  There was a pre-concert demo-lecture which, truth to tell, was no better than it probably needed to be.  Three members of the Libella Quartet (they who presently own Annabel Lee) took part (and all of them had solo parts here and there), and I knew at least two others among the ranks of the Cantata Singers.

Awesome!

Glad I wasn't the only one noticing. I also heard some intonation problems between the two violins; ditto for the vocal soloists, some quite good, others less so. I found the Audi coelum the high point of the concert in all respects. The Ave maris stella had me cringing during some passages.

So cool to see that you both caught this live.

Thank you both for the updates.  I look forward to seeing the Vespers sometime!

[HIPster]

Pulling this out of another composer thread (Handel in this case):
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Godard seems to be a versatile and adventurous musician, and I don't know that side of his work (the Monteverdi record) at all.  I wonder if it would make a good double-feature with that allegedly really cool ~jazzy Monteverdi record by Christina Pluhar & co. (the one on Virgin).

Octave - my guess is you are referring to this one from Pluhar/L'Arpeggiata:
[asin]B001KYJA6K[/asin]

This is indeed a wonderful, jazzy, take on Monteverdi.  I spin it all the time!  I'd say that you are onto something with this pairing! 

[Moonfish]

(previously posted in recordings you are considering, but figured that it really belongs here    )

Any thoughts/recommendations/impressions on Harnoncourt's Monteverdi recordings? This comes out in May..

[asin] B00IWVDHAO[/asin]

[North Star]

I am having trouble finding all the books of madrigals by La Venexiana.  Does a complete box exist (the Alessandrini Monteverdi box is mandatory, IMO), were all books even recorded?  I am also interested in their Gesualdo recordings.  Anyone have links to share?

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[HIPster]

This recent release by Concerto Italiano is worth checking out ~
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I've had this in heavy rotation since I purchased it.  There's also an interesting sort of "home movie" about Alessandrini and his affinity toward Monteverdi.  Several other forthcoming editions are promised too!

The La Venexiana set is high on my list as well; I've only heard their live, concert recording (I'm hopeful that a Gesualdo box will be released at some stage) .

Ensemble Elyma also has some fantastic Monteverdi recordings.  I like all that I have heard from that group.

[king ubu]

I guess this is the place to follow up on this:

[asin]B005BX3KAI[/asin]

Did you ever bother to determine what Corboz added and where it's been taken from? Seems the entire "Selva" publication can be squeezed onto three pretty full discs (Garrido uses four).

Yes, or rather I knew, when I researched into it many many years ago, but I lost all this info, so I will get into this again, unless an other member will come forward with the necessary info.

Would be greatly appreciated, Harry! Or anyone else, if anyone can jump in!

[North Star]

Bump... Since the Garrido set doesn't have libretti, I had to search for them online.. courtesy of Boston Early Music Festival:

Ulisse
Poppea
Orfeo

[Biffo]

The complete madrigals from La Venexiana has become available at a reasonable price (MDT, for example). Does anyone have any thoughts on this ensemble? I only have them in Book III and find them enjoyable. Is there any ensemble that is a top recommendation in all nine Books or is it a matter of choosing a particular ensemble for a specific Book?

I don't have a complete set and La Venexiana seems a reasonable option.

[Mandryka]

I like Alessandrini.

[North Star]

The complete madrigals from La Venexiana has become available at a reasonable price (MDT, for example). Does anyone have any thoughts on this ensemble? I only have them in Book III and find them enjoyable. Is there any ensemble that is a top recommendation in all nine Books or is it a matter of choosing a particular ensemble for a specific Book?

I don't have a complete set and La Venexiana seems a reasonable option.

Concerto Italiano (dir. Alessandrini) is as fine as Venexiana, based on the books I've heard from them, but a lot harder to collect for sure. If you enjoy Venexiana's Book III, you should like the rest of their integral just as much.

[Biffo]

Concerto Italiano (dir. Alessandrini) is as fine as Venexiana, based on the books I've heard from them, but a lot harder to collect for sure. If you enjoy Venexiana's Book III, you should like the rest of their integral just as much.

I have Concerto Italiano in Book V and find that enjoyable as well. For me CV are marginally preferable to Venexiana but that is only a slight preference. I also have Book VIII from Concerto Vocale/Jacobs.

I think I will buy the Venexiana complete set; I can always add any alternative versions of individual books if they come to my attention and I like them.

[Mandryka]

I listened to some madrigals from Bk 4 by Alessandrini and by Venexiana - my feeling is that Venexiana are more dramatic/operatic.

[Biffo]

I listened to some madrigals from Bk 4 by Alessandrini and by Venexiana - my feeling is that Venexiana are more dramatic/operatic.

That is something I will bear in mind when I get the complete edition. It may be that their different strengths will be apparent over the whole set. I was comparing Book III (Ven.) with Book V (CV) and came to the opposite conclusion - I thought that Venexiana were possibly concentrating a little too much on beauty of sound rather than drama but that might be inherent in the Book III madigals. In any case, both sound fine ensembles.

[Moonfish]

I just ordered the recent compilation/repackaging of the Monteverdi recordings performed by Ensemble Elyma and Gabriel Garrido.
For some reason Garrido's recordings have eluded me in the past so I'm very much look forward to exploring these performances. The individual releases seem hard to come by and/or are quite expensive at this point in time.  I noted that many members spoke highly of Garrido's Monteverdi previously in the thread.      This thread (seemingly) had a Monteverdi listening frenzy back in 2013! It would be fun to rekindle the Monteverdian fire?




L'Orfeo

https://www.youtube.com/v/7JyDVotbAJQ