Monteverdi: Motets

On this CD:

1. Adoramus te, Christe, motet for 6 voices & continuo, SV 289
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

2. Work(s)
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Paula Chateauneuf, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

3. Christe, adoramus te, motet for 5 voices, SV 293
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

4. Laudate, pueri, Dominum (II), motet for 5 voices (from Selva morale e spirituale), SV 271
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Paula Chateauneuf, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

5. Momento, et omnis mansuetudini eius, motet for 8 voices (from Selva morale e spirituale), SV 276
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Paula Chateauneuf, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

6. Cantate Domino canticum novum, motet, version for 6 voices, SV 292
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Paula Chateauneuf, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

7. Beatus Vir (I), motet for 6 voices, 2 violins, 3 violas/trombones and continuo (from Seva morale e spirituale), SV 268
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Paula Chateauneuf, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

8. Laetaniae della Beata Vergine, motet for 6 voices (from Messa a quatro voci, et Salmi), SV 204
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

9. Work(s)
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Paula Chateauneuf, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

10. Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me, motet for 6 voices, SV 298
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

11. Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum (I), for soprano, tenor, bass & 2 violins (from Mass for 4 voices & Psalms), SV 200
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Cambridge Trinity College Choir with Elizabeth Bradley, Angela East, Philip Rushforth, Silas Standage

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Ave Maria, Mater Dei
Magnificat
Stabat Virgo Maria
Maria, Quid Ploras
The Angel Cried Out
Regina Caeli Laetare
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Ave Maris Stella
O Thou Joy Of All The Sorrowful
Ave Regina Caelorum A 8
Ave Maria A 4
Salve Regina A 5

Amazon.com

In the wake of its previous, Grammy-winning disc of contemporary madrigals (Colors of Love), the all-male a cappella ensemble that calls itself Chanticleer--in homage to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales --comes home to roost in this theme album of early music. After all, this is the territory that Chanticleer first staked out when the group banded together in 1978, and the return is most welcome. Magnificat offers manifold rewards, from the sensitive, imaginative culling of its program to the warmth and lithe interweaving of vocal layers in its execution (vividly recorded in splendid 20/24-bit process at the Skywalker Ranch)--not to mention the capsule music history that it traces. Like depictions of the Annunciation in medieval and Renaissance paintings, musical settings of texts that are centered on Mary abound during this period. Chanticleer's anthology includes familiar gems (the hymn "Ave Maris Stella"), but the group is delightfully unpredictable in many of its choices: examples of the polychoral sacred music of Russian Vasily Titov, contrafactum reworkings of two Monteverdi madrigals to Marian texts, and a full Magnificat setting by Tudor master John Taverner. The latter gives a microcosm of Chanticleer's vocal versatility, presenting stern, unadorned plainsong side-by-side with melodies that blossom like tendrils. Or listen to the ensemble's dynamic control, from the exultant climaxes of the Titov choral concerto to the achingly beautiful, held diminuendo on the second Monteverdi piece. Most impressive of all is that Chanticleer manages to avoid the bane of a cappella groups--a bland, homogenized sameness of sound--through its subtle variations in color and thoughtful musicality. A real treasure. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful with excellent sound engineering and singing.......2007-06-27

I got what I wanted ---some absolutely beautiful compositions with exquiste voices.
Should be a grammy nominee

Beautiful performances and some nice surprises.......2005-06-17

This is a nice anthology of Renaissance music encompassing key composers of both the Prima and Seconda Prattica, including one or two less known names. The uniting theme is that of they are all in praise of the Virgin Mary. Most of these works are old war horses such as the Josquin Ave Maria which is beautifully performed. Their tempo for the Josquin is similar to that of the spacious approach of the Hilliard Ensemble, and unless you like this music performed at breakneck speed you will likely find this performance perfectly satisfying. If you are interested in an anthology of Renaissance music then this is a great choice, however for those of us with a strong interest in music of this period what really makes this essential listening is the two extraordinary pieces by Vasily Titov.

Titov composed at the time of Tsar Peter the Great's modernisation drive in Russia. He brought in composers from the West and Titov's music represents a marriage of the Italian compositional styles of the Seconda Prattica with the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church. Like the grand architecture of St Petersburgs, and the Hermitage this is an fascinating mixture of Western influences with distinctly Russian ones. The twelve part polychoral writings have some of the dark solemnity of Russian Orthodox music while clearly being heavily influenced by the likes of Monteverdi, Gabrielli, Lassus and Palestrina. Perhaps a more authentically Russian approach to this music would have given far more prominence to the basses, but this still has trumendous impact. It makes it strange that there is so much interest in composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Moussorsky, Shostakovich and the like but the Early Music movement have yet to catch up with Eastern Europe - Titov is very easily their equal and I would welcome more substantial recordings devoted to exploring this neglected composer.

This is a great recording recommended both to a general audience as well as to lovers of Renaissance music alike. The recorded sound is natural and full bodied. You can pick out individual voices in the chorus without them being drowned into an amorphous porridge of sound - a sign of a good recording. Still, I have heard wider sound staging and a wider dynamic range, so for all its virtues this is almost - but not quite - audiophile quality. Clearly a SACD format DSD recording would have been preferable.

Heavenly.......2003-01-04

This is one of my first two DVD-audio discs. Some tracks are recorded from the audience perspective, with the choir across the front and cathedral ambience all around, and those are beautiful, but I gotta say I love the, "choir-around the room" recordings a little more. Track 3 in particular has the choir "doubled" with parts recorded seperately with the choir at the rear of the cathedral, a then they moved 'em all down front, and stuck the tracks together through the magic of digital editing. I don't have a DVD-audio player yet so I'm just listening to the compressed Dolby 5.1 tracks. Can't imagine it sounding any better, though. Get this disc. Seriously, do it so you can go to heaven!

Marvelous sound.......2002-03-08

This recording wraps you up in a gorgeous sonority, and I'm only listening in stereo. I can't wait to hear it when I fill out my speaker ensemble.

Gorgeous choral voices surrounding you.......2002-02-03

I hesitated to buy this disc until a friend told me he knew one of the members of Chanticleer; then again I also had nothing like it in my collection. The sound is rich and resonant. You should know it is recorded realistically, in a variety of soundfields, i.e. sometimes there is a processional from front to rear, sometimes choruses on upper left/right, or from all around you, depending on the material. If that sounds disconcerting be assured it isn't. This is a beautiful and soothing disc with a nice variety to it, and the sound is wonderful.

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a voice teacher and early music fan
Eat your heart out, Marilyn Manson
A masterpiece of choral artistry
centerpiece for choir lovers

Bach: Motets BWV 225-231, Cantatas
Johann Sebastian Bach , John Eliot Gardiner , Gillian Fisher , Elisabeth Priday , Richard Savage , Ashley Stafford , Neil McKenzie , English Baroque Soloists , and Monteverdi Choir
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Bach: Whitsun Cantatas / Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir
Bach: Cantatas, BWV 4-6
Faure: Requiem / Bott, Cachemaille; Gardiner
Bach: Motets
Bach: Cantatas, Vol 2 (BWV 71, 131, 106) /Bach Collegium Japan * Suzuki

ASIN: B000005E9X
Release Date: 1993-04-13

Tracks:

Motet: Komm, Jesu, komm (BWV 229)
Cantata: O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht (BWV 118)
Motets: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (BWV 226)
Motets: Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (BWV 230)
Motets: Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren (BWV 231)
Motets: Der Gerechte kommt um
Motets: Furchte dich nicht (BWV 228)

Tracks:

Motets: Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 227)
Motets: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (BWV 225)
Cantata: Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft (BWV 50)

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-07-21

WONDERFUL LISTENING EXPERIENCE!!!
As much as I reveled in the hearing of these motets, ir behooves me to mention a few things about them.
Firstly, the two motets BWV 230 and BWV 225 has many technical demands, and one has the impressions that the sound engineer was not quite up to the complexities of it; thus making the choir sound effortful and contrived. For example, running notes are chopped up to further avoid muddling of the choral sound due to the inevitable echoes that arise in the church.. One wishes that the laudable efforts to create an authentic cathedral sound were matched by an equally competant sound engineer. However, having said all of this, the Monteverdi Choir remained truly marvelous to hear, and there are many remarkable moments in Gardiner's interpretation of these motets. One can feel the greatness of Gardiner-masterful shading and line treatment of choral forces that make this choir well above average and capable of some very extraordinary singing, as in BWV 228, when the sound engineer seems to be finally in sync with the choir. Of course, the English Baroque Soloists does an efficient job of supporting the choir, thus helping to even out the bad acoustics.
As to performance of the vocal soloists in BWV 227, one can only say that they are excellent, if not adequate: I really liked the 2 sopranos (Eliz. Priday and Gillian Fisher) and mildly objected to using Ashley Stafford as countertenor instead of Michael Chance who had just begun (1980) his several years with the Choir. That is strictly a personal preference on my part; I just find Stafford's voice not formidable for a solo part.
All in all the recording of these motets is awe-inspiring!!!!

Eat your heart out, Marilyn Manson.......2006-04-16

This was the first CD I ever bought, back when CD players were still cutting-edge technology. Now, more than a decade later, I still listen to it regularly.

In fact, this CD ranks as my all-time favorite for playing at ear-bud volume while rocketing down the highway. My apologies to the Seattle police -- and to the millions of kids who will never know that Bach's Motets kick industrial metal's ass (and just about everything else) when it comes to pure emotional transcendence.

A masterpiece of choral artistry.......2003-05-15

Not only is the composer Johann Sebastian Bach, but John Eliot Gardiner has interpreted him in very fine fashion.

Among the works featured in this album are ensemble pieces of four-part harmony, but there are polyphonic sequences, and sequences featuring solo singers.

This is a double disk album, making it especially valuable.

The choir has excellent diction, all in German. There is a strong, clear soprano section enabling a flexible, versatile dynamic range. The basses and tenors are similarly skilled.

Incidental music is unobtrusive and enhances the choral presentation.

The overall effect is awe-inspiring and elevating.

centerpiece for choir lovers.......2000-03-29

If you love J.S. Bach, if you love choir music, this double CD is an essential purchase. Get a taste, try "Komm, Jesu, Komm". It's built in several parts; each takes you to a higher level, and after the sequence ("du bist der rechte Weg...") which gets me high each time I hear it, the motet ends with a lovely aria. But then, there's so much more to discover here! Gardiner and the Monteverdi choir are the reference level. However, be aware that this CD could suddenly dissappear from the market (in Germany, it has). Don't hesitate: this is a must for all lovers of the b-minor Mass and St. Matthew's Passion where choir music also plays a prominent role.

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a voice teacher and early music fan
Exquisite German Renaissance Liturgical Music
An unending source of pleasure and spiritual renewal.
Radiant
One of the best recordings of Schutz

Schutz: Motets & Concertos (Ger)
John Eliot Gardiner , Monteverdi Choir , and English Bar
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Heinrich Schütz: Symphoniae Sacrae, 1629
Schütz: Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz
Schütz: Symphoniæ Sacræ III
Schütz - The Christmas Story · Cantiones sacrae · Psalm 100 / P. Agnew · A. Crookes · M. McCarthy · Oxford Camerata · J. Summerly
Schütz: St. Matthew Passion

ASIN: B0000057D7
Release Date: 2005-12-26

Tracks:

Freue Dich Des Weibes Deiner Jugend
Ist Nict Ephraim Mein Teurer Sohr
Saul, Saul Was Verfolgst Du Mich?
Auf Dem Gebirge Hat Man Ein Geschrei Gehoret
Concerto In Form Einer Teutschen Begrabnis-Missa
Motette>>Herr, Wenn Ich Nur Dich Habe < <
Canticum Simeonis

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-01-28

Heinrich Schutz(1585-1672), is now recognized as the outstanding figure in seventeenty-century German musical life. He played a central role in the creation and development of early baroque style in Germany, bringing to it what he absorbed on his two visits to Italy. Apart from early Italian madrigals and a lost opera 'Dafne', all his surviving output is sacred music. His three late Passions, in an archaic style, continued a German tradition which can be traced through to J.S.Bach.
It was in Dresden in 1636, that he composed his so-called 'German Requiem', his "Musikalische Exequiem" for a royal funeral. It is divided into 3 Parts having deep theological meaning based on scriptural passages alternating with hymn verses.
The Wedding Concerto 'Freue dich des Weibes deiner Jugend' is based on a text from Proverbs (5:18-19). and is written with a light touch, and achieves its effects by the masterly disposition of the 4-part choir and two obligato descant instruments.
The Motet 'Ist nicht Ephraim mein teurer Sohn' is for 2 four-part choruses made up of a mixture of vocal and instrumental forces.
The concerto "Saul,Saul, was verfolgst du mich' has a text based on two passages in the Acts of the Apostles (26:14band9:4-5).
Schutz published his seven part motet 'Aluf dem Gebirge hat man ein Geschrei gehoret' in the volume 'Geistliche Chormusik' of 1648. Unlike most of the other motets in that volume, this text is given to only two voices(upper parts, in the alto register),while the 5 lower parts are designed for instrumental execution (French Horn mainly).

John Eliot Gardiner made this recording in 1987, and selected absolutely wonderful performers to execute it. They are all first-rate, and many of the soloists like Michael Chance , for instance, were begining their careers as singers. The duet between Ashley Stafford (alto) and MICHAEL Chance is superb, not to be matched on any disc that I own, anyway. This is all just beautiful music!!!!!A great performance also by the Monteverdi Choir (fairly new at this time) and The English Baroque Soloists was flawless and wonderful to hear. It's no mistake to buy this recording if you are an early music lover!!!!

Exquisite German Renaissance Liturgical Music.......2006-09-23

This rendition of Heinrich Schutz 'Musikalische Exequien' is rendered by what may be considered an 'all star cast', lead by director, John Eliot Gardiner with His Majesties Sagbutts and Cornetts, The Monteverdi Choir, and the English Baroque Soloists. Imagine one's surprise that this lineup of Anglican talent does so well with these High German pieces.

The first thing which sets this apart from so many liturgical works is that it is not a rendering of a mass, even a Requium mass, even though it does include motet(s) for the funeral of a German prince. Another thing which strikes me as remarkable is that these works were written at the height of the 30 Years War which ravaged central Germany (actually, the 'Holy Roman Empire').

The highest praise I can give this piece is that it actually rivals Bach's lesser liturgical works, especially in the richness of mix of voices and instruments.

An unending source of pleasure and spiritual renewal........2005-09-10

As a music historian and a German scholar as well as a pastor, I concur with the other reviewers: this is a magnificent recording of first-rate performances of significant compositions by Heinrich Schuetz. For the sake of your health and well-being, for the joy of your heart, get this CD and listen to it often!

Radiant.......2005-02-27

Doesn't look promising, does it? Early German Baroque, a meditation on death, mostly a capella, some continuo. Pretty austere. But this is some of the most passionate religious music ever composed, prompted by some of the most richly consoling texts-- In his German Requiem, 200 years later, Brahms paid tribute to Schütz's work in setting "Selig sind die Toten (Blessed are the dead")

Schütz never lets limited resources limit his invention or blunt his emotion-- this is a perfect coexistence of restrained dignity and an almost ecstatic spirituality. His magic includes divided choirs crying "Erbarm' dich!" --have mercy-- back and forth, unexpected hemiola dance rhythms (in a Requiem!) and a Monteverdian drama blended into a wholly a capella, polyphonic texure, with the two "angels" and the "blessed Soul" contrasting with the choir in the "Canticum Simeonis."

Gardiner and company are the perfect agents of Schütz's grace-- Gardiner is probably the greatest exponent of the "Get out of the way of the music" school of HIP, and that just happens to be the one I favor. Clarity is what the music needs, and what it gets. Gardiner also has never found a Baroque piece out of which he couldn't ferret the dance rhythms. His singers are clear-voiced, articulation is clean, tuning and balance flawless, tempi strict, rhythms meticulous-- and the result is not at all cold, but full of light and warmth. The emotions rise out of the music and overtake you.

One of the best recordings of Schutz.......2005-01-19

I love this recording and have listened to it for years. The Musicalische Exequim (SP?) is especially moving. With Schutz, there always seems to be some anguish under the surface of his music that I can't exactly put my finger on.

If you are willing to take a gamble on Schutz,this is a good CD to try.

Average customer rating:

Great start to another classy Hyperion series

Monteverdi: The Sacred Music, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Sacred Music, Vol. 2
Monteverdi: The Sacred Music, Vol. 4
Monteverdi: The Sacred Music, Vol. 3
Monteverdi: Vespers 1610
Monteverdi: Concerto Settimo Libro dei Madrigali

ASIN: B0000CE0YZ
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Tracks:

Dixit (Dominus) Primo
Confitebor Primo
Beatus Vir I
Laudate Pueri Primo
Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes
Christe Redemptor Omnium
Magnificat Primo
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

Great start to another classy Hyperion series.......2003-12-19

Not long ago, Robert King and The King's Consort completed a wonderful series of Purcell's vocal music for Hyperion. Their new series of sacred music by Monteverdi has the potential to meet the same high standards as that classic set. Light and lively, the Consort's performances make it easy to listen to a lot of Monteverdi in a single sitting. Plus, the series appears as if it will be sequenced with listeners in mind: no multiple settings of a single sacred text appearing on one CD, etc.

Nicely recorded with a good sense of Monteverdi's spatial effects, this sounds as if you're looking through a kaleidoscope of fascinating and constantly shifting images. Monteverdi's colorful genius and masterful ear for melody is on full display. And, as usual for Hyperion, the booklet notes are extremely literate and highly detailed, with translations provided for all of the texts and individual cueing of movements for the Mass.

Tracks:

Ego Flos Campi
Fuge, Fuge Anima Mea
Slave Regina
Pulchra Es
Lapidabant Stephanum
Veni In Hortum Meum
Exulta Filia Sion
O Bone Jesu, O Piissime Jesu
Lauda Jerusalem
Nigra Sum
Surge Propera
Ego Sum Pastor Bonus
Laudate Dominum
O Bone Jesu, Illumina Oculos Meos
Surgens Iesus
Lusti Tulerunt Spolia
O Quam Pulchra Es
Spuntava Il Di

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Masterpieces of Sacred Polyphony

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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The Greatest Choral Music of Palestrina: Prince of Music
Voices Of Ascension: From Chant To Renaissance

ASIN: B000002ZXD
Release Date: 1996-02-09

Tracks:

Exultate Deo - 5vv
Ave Verum Corpus - 4vv
Sicut cervus - 4vv
Ave Maria - 6vv
Exultate justi - 4vv With Continuo
Salvator mundi - 5vv
Ascendit Deus - 5vv
Miserere mei, Deus - 9vv
Jubilate Deo - 8vv With Continuo
Crucifixus - 8vv With Continuo
Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus - 5vv
Civitas sancti tui - 5vv
O quam gloriosum est regnum - 4vv
O nata lux de lumine - 5vv
In manus tuas - 5vv
Haec dies - 6vv
Ave verum corpus, natum de Maria virgine - 5vv
Cantate Domino - 6vv With Continuo

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Wonderful!

Une messe imaginaire

Manufacturer: Astree
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004RBWY
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......2002-02-03

This is a fabulous recording, and not only because it features works of my favorite Renaissance composer, Josquin Desprez. Also featured are gorgeous pieces by other Renaissance masters, including the most beautiful version of Allegri's "Miserere Mei" I have ever heard; it is a scholarly version, not the standard version one usually hears featuring that soaring high C. I certainly do love the standard version (the recording of St. Paul's Cathedral Choir with Jeremy Budd as the treble soloist is magnificent), but the A Sei Voci version brings a new freshness to the piece that I can't help but to slightly prefer. In particular, the soprano has a lovely tone and sings some soul-stirring melodies above the lower voices.

Tracks:

Conditor alme siderum (excerpt) - Capella antiqua Munchen/Konrad Ruhland
Intro: Domine ad adiuvandum me festina Deus in adiutorium from Marienvesper - Arnold-Schonberg Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden/Choralschola der...
L'Orfeo (excerpt) - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Fantasia: Three parts on a ground in D, Z.731 - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Da pacem Domine - Alsfelder Vokalensemble/Wolfgang Helbich
Gloria patri et filio et spiritui sancto - Alsfelder Vokalensemble/Wolfgang Helbich
Magnificat (excerpt) from Marienvesper - Arnold-Schonberg Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden/Choralschola der...
Fant from Ste No.2 in F - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Adagio from Capriccio stravagante - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
In nomine from Ste No.3 in B - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Adagio from Capriccio stravagante - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Hymnus: Ave maris stella (excerpt) from Marienvesper - Arnold-Schonberg-Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden/Choralschola der...
Arioso from Capriccio for Hpd BWV 992 - Gustav Leonhardt
Chorales 'Wie soll ich dich empfangen', 'Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein' & 'Wir singen dir in... - Wiener Sangerknaben & Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger/Concentus musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Sonatina from Cantata 106 - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Adagio from Con for Two Hpd in c BWV 1060 - Leonhardt-Consort/Gustav Leonhardt
Chorale 'Herr, ich hoff' je, du werdest die in keiner Not verlassen' from Cantata 184 - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale Leitung/Philippe Herreweghe/Leonhardt-Consort...
Largo e pno from Con grosso IV in a, op.6 No.4 - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Chorale 'Lobe den Herren, was in mir ist, lobe den Namen' from Cantata 137 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Partitas 1, 2, 6 & 5 from Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan - Siegfried Hildenbrand
Chorales 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' & 'Gloria sei dir gesungen' from Cantata 140 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Chorale 'Jesus bleibet meine Freude' from Cantata 147 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Var 1, 2 & 6 from Partita uber' Wenn wir in hocsten Noten sein' - Wilhelm Krumbach
Chorale 'Dein ist allein die Ehre' from Cantata 41 - Wiener Sangerknaben & Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger/Concentus musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Chorale 'Alleluja! Gelobt sei Gott' from Cantata 110 - Toelzer Knabenchor/Genhardt Schmidt-Gaden/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Dona nobis pacem from Mass in b BWV 232 - Arnold-Schonberg-Chor/Erwin G. Ortner/Concentus musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Var No.10 from Partite diverse sopra: Sei gegrut, Jesu gutig BWV 768 - Herbert Tachezi
Aus meines Herzens Grunde - Wilhelm Krumbach

Album Description

Celestial Christmas is a richly textured musical tapestry that gracefully weaves together selections of sacred choral and instrumental music from the High Renaissance and Baroque eras. The recording journeys through moods of tenderness, solemnity, and joy, as expressed by Johann Sebastian Bach in the numerous choral selections from his Christmas oratorios and cantatas, including the beloved 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' and 'Sleepers, Awake!' as well as the prayer for peace from the glorious 'Mass in B Minor'. Bach is also the featured composer in the many joyful instrumental pieces for harpsichord, flute, and organ. Also included in the program are many exceptionally beautiful pieces, both choral and instrumental, by Claudio Monteverdi, Orlande de Lassus, Henry Purcell, William Lawes, Carlo Farina, Johann Pachelbel, and Georg Friedrich HÃ¤ndel.

Monteverdi: The Sacred Music, Vol. 1 [Hybrid SACD]

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Rich Italian Church Music of 17th C.

Monteverdi: The Sacred Music, Vol. 1 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000DJEQN
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Customer Reviews:

Rich Italian Church Music of 17th C........2004-02-16

King continues his fine recording of baroque pieces, here Italian Claudio Monteverdi.

Starting in Venice, he was not really influential until taking a position at St. Mark's in Venice. Here the output which we have on this CD were completed in this late Renasaissance style.

The setting was dominated by antiphonal, and multi-layered choirs and instruments from different levels and locations.
Eight part settings with multiple organists and choirs provide this Mass and Vespers offerings.

Laced with rich soloists and nicely balanced, conducted and mixed instrument accompaniment, this music is very nice. Especially fond of Beauts Vir, a three part setting which appears to be a setting of Psalm 1 and others which project the righteous vs. the wicked.

Tracks:

Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Organ Improvisation
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Deus in adiutorium meum intende
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Angelicam vitam eligens
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Dixit Dominus Domino meo
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Pulchra es, amica mea
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: In Dei orta sata
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Laudate pueri Dominum
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Giovanni Amigone: Sonata
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Paterni oblita amoris
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Laetatus sum in his
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Nigra sum, sed formosa
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: In Sanctae Trinitatis
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Giovanni Amigone: Sonata
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Trinitatem venerata
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Lauda Jerusalem
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Duo Seraphim clamabant

Tracks:

Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Confitebor tibi Domine
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Exultet celebres virginis
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Ora pro nobis
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Hodie beata Barbara virgo gloriosa
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Magnificat
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Dominus vobiscum
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Gaude Barbara beata
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Sit nomen Domini benedictum
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Audi coelum verba mea
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Angelus Domini nunciavit Mariae
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Sancta Barbara, ora pro nobis
Second Vespers For The Feast Of Santa Barbara: Ave maris stella

Amazon.com

Scholars have been trying for years to figure out the occasion for which Monteverdi might have composed his extraordinary Vespers of 1610. At the time he wrote the music, Monteverdi was employed by the Gonzagas, the ruling family of Mantua; while his duties there were secular in nature, it has been suggested that he may have written the Vespers for the feast of Saint Barbara, the Gonzagas' patron saint, and adapted them to honor the Virgin Mary when he published the music. Harry Christophers and the Sixteen perform here a speculative reconstruction of just such a Vespers service. The traditional order of the works has been changed somewhat to match the order of service for the Vespers of Saint Barbara; plainchant, prayers, two sonatas for solo cornett, and a Palestrina motet in Saint Barbara's honor have been added as well. (The hymn Ave maris stella, aimed specifically at the Virgin and with no place in a Vespers for any other saint, is tacked on at the end for the sake of completeness.) The chorus of the Sixteen (two or three singers per part) and the instrumental contingent give a competent performance, but one without much excitement. The soloists, sopranos especially, are a bit shaky (although the tenor duet-trio "Duo seraphim" is beautifully done). Completist Monteverdi collectors will want this unique rendition of his masterpiece, but it really isn't a first choice, even among liturgical reconstructions. (That would be Andrew Parrott's glorious 1984 recording.) --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

The Best........2006-07-17

This is easily the best version out there. Incredibly underrated masterpiece of a recording. Don't pay attention to the editorial- the solos are brilliant and as always Christophers chorus is indescribable- and his plainchant is even better than McCreesh. Best recording of one the greatest masterpieces of western music.

An intriguing recording.......1999-04-18

This recording has grown on me. At first I was confused, because Christophers uses such an unusual performing edition of this Vespro that it is almost unrecognizable. But the choral singing here is very beautiful, so this bizarre Vespro has finally won me over. Some of the solo voices are not the most distinctive, but they don't have much to sing, since Christophers gives us a choral version of this masterpiece; so ultimately the somewhat unexciting solo singing is not a major drawback. In this regard I must say that I will never understand one thing: how can a director use any male soloist other than Mark Padmore when Mark Padmore is available. Here Nigra Sum, for example, is sung by Andrew Murgatroyd - and who in the world is Murgatroyd and why did he deserve the honor? So Nigra Sum doesn't sound like much. But then Duo Seraphim sounds like a real winner - one truly terrific track in the entire recording. And why? Because it's got Mark Padmore in it. Of course, this is just my rookie opinion. Murgatroyd sings Nigra Sum on Rene Jacobs' recording of the Vespro as well, so there must be something to his singing that gets him votes more important than mine.

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