BAL Monteverdi Vespers of 1610

[verismissimo]

One of those few works on BAL which didn't really have a pre-HIP existence on record?

I have 1950s HIP from Margaret Lewis, Elsie Morison, William Herbert, Richard Lewis, Bruce Boyce under Anthony Lewis. (What a pivotal figure he was from his base at Birmingham University.)

And I have 1960s HIP from soloists including Hugues Cuenod and Lausanne forces under Michel Corboz.

My first experience of it live was in the late 60s or early 70s with Philip Simms's Tallis singers at Naval College Chapel, Greenwich, with Ian Partridge a revelation for me.

Expect to catch up half a century this Saturday!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't want to miss this. I'll be driving down to East Sussex with Frau Alpensinfonie, so I'll volunteer to be at the wheel. (Whoever is driving chooses the radio channel.) :)

[DracoM]

There is a jungle of dogma involved in the interpretation of Monteverdi's oeuvre.

FWIW, my hunch is that we may well know within minutes of the start of BAL where the reviewer comes from and where he is taking us.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

FWIW, my hunch is that we may well know within minutes of the start of BAL where the reviewer comes from and where he is taking us.

With anything pre-1750, this tends to be the case.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

I haven't listened to it yet, but yesterday's edition of France Musique's La Tribune des critiques de disques was also on Monteverdi's Vespers, so it will be interesting to compare programmes (although with the caveat that La Tribune doesn't set out to find a 'best' version of all available recordings; it's more an Interpretations on Record).

[MickyD]

I'm very keen to hear how the new Higginbottom recording fares - it being the first all-male version since the old Regensburg/Schneidt Archiv recording in the 70s. That version is admirable in many ways, but the instrumental playing sounds a bit creaky now. Whatever the outcome, I think I'll get hold of the Higginbottom discs anyway.

[doversoul1]

FWIW, my hunch is that we may well know within minutes of the start of BAL where the reviewer comes from and where he is taking us.

Preconception is never a good thing but for those who are curious, here is the reviewer’s track record.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classical/cdreview/reviewer/simon-heighes/

I found SH more personal than academic. I enjoyed his Pargolegi BAL and am very much looking forward to this BAL.

[MickyD]

Yes, I've enjoyed Simon Heighes on the programme before - and he writes very engagingly in IRR... "more personal than academic " is a good way of putting it, doversoul, and I find that style much more readable.

[Martin]

here is the reviewer’s track record.

Not to mention this:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/oxford-don-jailed-for-stealing-books-1525877.html

[doversoul1]

We had the same post after SHs Pargolegi BAL back in spring. Surely there is no need to bring this back again?

As I said then, it wasn’t a crime against any other persons but more a mistake and he paid for it. I don’t think we should expect him, or anybody who has made a mistake to live with the record hanging round his neck for the rest of their lives.

[BBMmk2]

Ah, I would to. Probabl;y won't figure much. I do like JEG's rather over blown version though!! And Andrew Parrott's to!!

[ostuni]

Thanks, IGI, for the Tribune des Critiques tip-off. I had a listen to it last night, and was disappointed that they didn't like the one recording that really stood out for me (beautifully phrased singing in Laudate Pueri): the Alessandrini one, which I hadn't heard before, and am now seriously thinking of buying. Strange that they thought it English ('Oxford sound'): I definitely had it down as Italian in my blind listening. Glad to report that I correctly identified JEG (mainly because of his ridiculous {IMO} introduction of full voices into Duo Seraphim): don't like the recording any more than the Prom. I don't often listen to la T des C, because you need to find so much time for a single episode: the extracts are good, and I enjoy the challenge of blind listening, but those French critics aren't the sort to use one word where a dozen would do...

I see from doversoul's link that Simon H picked Robert King as first choice back in 2007; it will be interesting to see if any of the recent recordings rate more highly (I haven't heard the King, but his lineup of soloists looks near-ideal).

[vinteuil]

of those I have listened to recently - Jacobs, McCreesh, Kuijken, Parrott, Gardiner, Higginbottom - I would say - that I have enjoyed all of them... but that - perhaps - at the moment - the one I find most satisfying is the Edwd Higginbottom w New Coll: Choir and char: agréable... but am awaiting w interest what the BAL will throw up...

[Chris Newman]

I regard the Robert King Vespers as perfection but expect to get shot down for even thinking such.

[madamesuggia]

It's the McCreesh recording for me.

Happy memories of watching McCreesh conduct the Vespers in Venice, November 2008.