Hold the cover of this deluxe set (with 88-page booklet) at the right angle to see its title displayed in glittering gold. It is a release (celebrating the composer’s 450th anniversary) that deserves to glitter. It confirms all that sparkles is gold, being a reissue of conductor John Eliot Gardiner’s outstanding 1989 recording of Claudio Monteverdi’s monumental Vespers of the Blessed Virgin that fully justifies the composer’s reputation as the creator of modern music. As noted by Gramophone magazine, Gardiner’s recording "spectacularly recorded" live in St Mark’s Basilica, Venice, "has a punchy choral sound ... emphatic enunciation, big contrasts and deliberate exploitation of the building’s spaces."
Look at the accompanying great DVD, filmed by the BBC, and you will agree that outright theatricality sets it apart beautifully from other performances. We tour the art in the wonderful church as well as see the eight inspired soloists (including a youthful Bryn Terfel, the Welsh bass-baritone) as well as the Monteverdi Choir, London Oratory Junior Choir, His Majesty’s Sackbuts and Cornetts, and the English Baroque Soloists on authentic instruments.
It is a delight to hear this magnificent performance, deliberately moving the singers round the architecture to exploit its differing echoes and fine acoustics, and then to watch the action on the excellent DVD. This is indeed breathtaking classical music that is a delight to hear and this version will probably never be outclassed.
Verdict: Magnficent and inspiring music.
- Geoff Adams
