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EAN: 0028943755221 Label: Polygram Records Manufacturer: Polygram Records Number Of Discs: 2 Publisher: Polygram Records Release Date: May 11, 1993 Studio: Polygram Records Editorial Review: Amazon.com essential recording: Paul McCreesh's second major recording (and second Gramophone Award winner) reconstructs Vespers for the Feast of the Annunciation at San Marco circa 1643, using music by Monteverdi and contemporaries including Cavalli, Grandi, and Rigatti. The music is less dense and lavishly scored than on A Venetian Coronation, but more virtuosic and varied--ranging from Finetti's sweet, languid "O Maria, quæ rapis" for two falsettists and Monteverdi's lively "Laudate Dominum" for solo tenor, to Marini's sensuous sonata for three violins and Monteverdi's spectacular "Lætatus sum" for six singers, two violins, two trombones, and bassoon over a repeated four-note bass. There is so much excitement here that even the opening of "Lætatus sum"--four measures of only the repeating bass--shimmers with energy. --Matthew Westphal Average Rating:
 Rating: - One of the best Gabrieli Consort recordingsThis really a fine recording. I bought my copy one sunny Saturday morning in Melbourne in around 1993. I saw it on the shelf and I got my wallet out. I was completely blown away by the music on this disc. Rigatti was a real discovery for me. The use of high falsettists in the chorus and solos is particularly effective and gives us a real insight into the sounds of music in Venice in the early 17th century. I cannot recommend this marvellous recording too highly, it is clearly ... Read More Rating: - Holy musicVenice, once the most powerful city in the world due to its position in trade routes and as a nexus for military activities between the East and West, was also a leading centre for the arts and music for generations. As often happens, the cultural influence of the city remained strong long after the political and economic power was gone. So strong was the influence of Venice at this time that musicians and artists of other nations came to Venice to study, and carried back the influence to their home countries. ... Read More Rating:  - Good work GabrieliExcellent 2-disc release by the Gabrieli Consort. The falsettists were supreme! Rating: - A Magnificent SetThe Vespers that Paul McLeish has reconstructed here are those that might have occurred on March 24, 1643, just one year before the death of Monteverdi whose music figures prominently in this service. Vespers is the principle evening service of the Catholic Church and in Venice the music written for this service was spectacular. At San Marco, the Doge regularly attended Vespers and it was typical that the Pala d'oro, the fantastic piece of Byzantine art, was on display. The music recorded here has ... Read More Rating: - An amazing reproduction of 17th century VespersPaul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Consort and Players have put together an entirely captivating re-creation of a Vespers service, the Catholic office of evening prayer, as it might have been performed at St. Mark's in Venice in the early 17th century. From the sacristy bell, to the chants, to the massive and breathtaking polychoral hymns and psalms, McCreesh weaves a tapestry of sound that is simply unparalleled. The Gabrieli Players' violinists play with such Italianate freshness and detail -- down to the last ... Read More |
