Monteverdi - The Sacred Music [King] Vol.2
Classical, Baroque | 1 CD | EAC | APE tracks, no CUE, no LOG | Covers + Booklet PDF | 265 MB | RS | TT 66:09
Recorded: February 2004, St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London | Released: April 2004 | Label: HYPERION
The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor)
Classical, Baroque | 1 CD | EAC | APE tracks, no CUE, no LOG | Covers + Booklet PDF | 265 MB | RS | TT 66:09
Recorded: February 2004, St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London | Released: April 2004 | Label: HYPERION
The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor)
'Sumptuous surround sound and full-blooded performances from Robert King and Co. combine to thrilling effect in the second release in their fabulous Monteverdi cycle' (Classic FM Magazine) '... there are joys here to melt icebergs ... I want Volume 3 immediately' (The Times) 'Monteverdi is one of those composers who really does merit a complete recording of his output. The sacred works have been a little neglected, and this splendid new series, with its informed and intelligent booklet notes, is putting things right' (BBC Music Magazine) 'I'll say it straight out: the result is truly exciting! The music is magnificent, and so is the interpretation … The architecture of the programme is particularly remarkable, and the album is built on balance, variety, contrast' (Goldberg Early Music Magazine) 'Where this new disc really comes into its own is in the small-scale motets, where King's outstanding roster of soloists would be exceedingly difficult to better … The rarely performed motets alone should ensure the present disc its place in any Monteverdi collection, while John Whenham's notes prove as valuable an asset as those Michael Talbot provided for King's Vivaldi sacred music traversal' (Fanfare, USA) 'This is an absolutely crack team of soloists, all of whom are completely at home in Monteverdi's idiom. The tenors in particular luxuriate in the ornamental roulades ...' (Early Music) 'En effet, c'est avec un tact et une finesse sans précédent que King mène son corpus instrumental … La douceur séraphique de Sampson et Outram dans le Venite, Siccientes n'a d'équivalent que la parfaite maîrise de la diction, des sons enflés et de la souplesse de ces voix' (Classica, France)
As the sound of choir and instruments fills the room at the opening of Exultent caeli, you can appreciate that this truly is a moment of exultant heavens and joyful angels. As the piece suddenly transforms to a dialogue among soloists, we're willingly drawn to reflect on the event of Mary's annunciation, and the section ends in a moment of tender reverence before returning to the grandeur of the beginning. So in less than four minutes Monteverdi effectively carries us from heavenly celebration to earthly contemplation of a holy miracle and back to heaven again, and it would be hard to imagine the music better realized than by the superb singers and instrumentalists of The King's Consort. As in Volume 1 (for a review, type Q7420 in Search Reviews), the performances are never less than "splendid" and the sound is "vibrant"–full and clear in the tuttis and well-balanced in all vocal/instrumental configurations.
Again, the repertoire is not likely to be familiar to most listeners–the Vespers and some madrigals seem to get all the attention–and while it's not all equally compelling (the solo-tenor motet Currite populi is uninterestingly repetitive if well-sung by James Gilchrist)–the mass is of the highest caliber, with an especially lovely Agnus Dei (among the most beautiful settings anywhere) and a rousing Gloria. The rest of the program consists of solo and two-voice motets (some highly ornamented) and concludes with a Litany of the Blessed Virgin for six soloists, choir, and instruments. It's a grand, melodious, harmonically rich work with plenty of interaction among soloists and big moments for the choir. On evidence of the two volumes we've heard so far, there are simply no finer Monteverdi practitioners around these days–one glance at the list of singers (including the choir) and instrumentalists will tell you why!–and credit must go to Robert King for intelligent, stylish performances that not only enliven the music but enlighten listeners. On to Volume 3! [10/29/2004]
David Vernier
Again, the repertoire is not likely to be familiar to most listeners–the Vespers and some madrigals seem to get all the attention–and while it's not all equally compelling (the solo-tenor motet Currite populi is uninterestingly repetitive if well-sung by James Gilchrist)–the mass is of the highest caliber, with an especially lovely Agnus Dei (among the most beautiful settings anywhere) and a rousing Gloria. The rest of the program consists of solo and two-voice motets (some highly ornamented) and concludes with a Litany of the Blessed Virgin for six soloists, choir, and instruments. It's a grand, melodious, harmonically rich work with plenty of interaction among soloists and big moments for the choir. On evidence of the two volumes we've heard so far, there are simply no finer Monteverdi practitioners around these days–one glance at the list of singers (including the choir) and instrumentalists will tell you why!–and credit must go to Robert King for intelligent, stylish performances that not only enliven the music but enlighten listeners. On to Volume 3! [10/29/2004]
David Vernier
Tracklist:
1 Exultent caeli a 5 [3'49]
2 Venite, siccientes a 2 [5'10]
3 Currite populi a voce sola e B.c. [4'00]
4 Ego dormio a 2 voci e B.c. [3'08]
Messa a 4 da Cappella 1650
5 Movement 1: Kyrie [4'02]
6 Movement 2: Gloria [4'39]
7 Movement 3: Credo [6'30]
8 Movement 4: Sanctus [2'38]
9 Movement 5: Benedictus [1'33]
10 Movement 6: Agnus Dei [5'36]
11 Cantate Domino a 2 1615 [5'24]
12 O beatae viae a 2 voci [5'39]
13 Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, SV197 [3'01]
14 Letaniae della Beata Vergine a 6 voci [11'00]