Monteverdi: The Sacred Music Vol.1

"This is life-enhancing stuff, breathtakingly exciting at times, exquisitely beautiful at others. If King and his forces maintain the standard they set here, this series is surely set be the definitive representation of Monteverdi on disc."
***** Five Stars (Pick of the Month) BBC Music Magazine (Jan 04)

Here we have the start of a substantial new 'complete' recording series from The King's Consort, namely the sacred music of Claudio Monteverdi.

The first volume is suitably opulent, with a veritable 'Who's who' of Monteverdi solo singers joined by two dozen chorus singers and a colourful group of instrumentalists under Robert King's lively baton. The repertoire for this opening volume presents a joyous Christmas sequence from the composer's great collection of 1640-41, Selva morale e spirituale, such as might have been heard at a Venetian Vespers, alongside a fine Mass. The spacious recordings were made in Super Audio 'surround sound' [SACDA67428] and are complemented by excellent booklet notes by Monteverdi expert Professor John Whenham.

Monteverdi's unique music is constantly inventive, immensely varied - and uniquely Venetian. A glorious new Hyperion project!