The Sixteen Harry Christophers* Monteverdi Vespers - Radio 3 In Concert 15 May 2024

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  • AuntDaisy
    Host
    • Jun 2018
    • 1624

    The Sixteen Harry Christophers* Monteverdi Vespers - Radio 3 In Concert 15 May 2024

    Tonight - Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610
    There's a short taster video on The Sixteen's tweet.
    ​A welcome outing as the Radio 3 In Concerts have been very thin on Early / Baroque music of late.

    Monteverdi Vespers
    Radio 3 in Concert

    Live at the Barbican Hall, London, The Sixteen Choir & Orchestra, conducted by their founder Harry Christophers, present a cornerstone of the Western musical tradition.

    Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 shows one of the greatest composers of all time at the height of his powers and working on an unprecedented scale. The music is dazzlingly inventive and expressive, by turns intimate and sensuous, splendid and elaborate.

    Yet no one knows why Claudio Monteverdi published his great masterpiece in praise of the Virgin Mary. It's not even certain if this ravishing collection of psalms, motets, a sonata, hymn and seven-part setting of the Magnificat was intended for performance as a continuous liturgical sequence. Is it, as some have suggested, one of history's most elaborate job applications? Monteverdi, miserable at the Mantuan court, possibly had an eye on impressing the authorities in Venice, a city where the Marian cult was especially strong. If that was behind the Vespers it eventually worked because three years later Monteverdi was at last appointed maestro di cappella at St Mark's, the top musical job in Venice.

    Presented by Ian Skelly.

    The Sixteen Choir & Orchestra
    Harry Christophers (conductor)​
    * See French Frank's The Sixteen Harry Christophers post

  • smittims
    Full Member
    • Aug 2022
    • 4097

    #2
    Do we have any knowledge of the number of performers Monteverdi imagined for this swork? It seems to be the fashion to do it with fewer and fewer these days. I do sometimes miss a large choir and string section. It would be nice of a letter could be found where the old boy said 'of course, what I'd really like would be a huge orchestra and choir!'

    Comment

    • oddoneout
      Full Member
      • Nov 2015
      • 9148

      #3
      A welcome outing as the Radio 3 In Concerts have been very thin on Early / Baroque music of late.
      And Classical - in fact anything much before about 1850...
      And it's LIVE - properly live.

      Comment

      • DracoM
        Host
        • Mar 2007
        • 12962

        #4
        And.............old, old Q .... is Haydn counted as 'Early Music'?
        It was yesterday on R3.

        Hmm...............

        Comment

        • AuntDaisy
          Host
          • Jun 2018
          • 1624

          #5
          Originally posted by DracoM View Post
          And.............old, old Q .... is Haydn counted as 'Early Music'?
          It was yesterday on R3.

          Hmm...............
          Will he be "Da Papa" in R3 yoof-speak?

          Comment

          • Nick0783
            Full Member
            • May 2024
            • 2

            #6
            Hearing Ian Skelly again is a reminder of how good a presenter he is. Could do with more of him.

            Comment

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