Claudio Monteverdi, The King's Consort - The Sacred Music 1

Thursday 8th January 2004
Claudio Monteverdi, The King's Consort - The Sacred Music 1
Claudio Monteverdi, The King's Consort - The Sacred Music 1

STYLE: Choral
RATING 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 9337-
LABEL: Hyperion CDA67428
FORMAT: CD Album

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) was a prolific composer in several genres, writing the earliest operas and also many madrigals. However, it is as a composer of sacred music that he is best remembered although too many of us know too little of his output. This series should address that problem. Robert King has assembled a splendid ensemble of soloists plus a more than competent choir and orchestra and together they give an excellent performance of a joyous Christmas sequence from Monteverdi’s great collection of 1640–41, “Selva Morale e Spirituale”, such as might have been heard at a Venetian Vespers, alongside a fine Mass, “Messa à 4”. The texts are, of course, in Latin but the sense is conveyed in music that left this reviewer smiling in pleasure and eager to hear volume two.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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