Monteverdi - Vespers (1610)

Four hundred years since it was first published, Monteverdi’s setting of the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin has lost none of its freshness or excitement. This tour de force of vocal writing is one of the finest flowerings of the polyphonic style, and yet it is also deeply rooted in the more ancient plainchant tradition. The virtuoso writing for both choral and solo voices is matched by the instrumental parts which, for this performance, are to be played on period instruments, adding that extra touch of authenticity to the proceedings.