Monteverdi: Messa a quattro voci et salmi of 1650 Volume II

Featuring

Elin Manahan Thomas
George Pooley
Grace Davidson
Harry Christophers
Jeremy Budd
Jimmy Holliday

Mark Dobell
Stuart Young
David Miller
The Sixteen
The Sixteen Orchestra
Claudio Monteverdi
Francesco Cavalli
Alessandro Piccinini

Did you know?

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Compositional Technique

Monteverdi's Messa a quattro voci, featured on this album, is notable for its tight motivic integration, with material generated from only a few basic ideas.

Composer Biography

Monteverdi worked as choirmaster at San Marco in Venice for the last 30 years of his life, where elaborate music was often performed for Mass and Vespers.

Interpretation

The performers of this album follow Monteverdi's dictum 'recitar cantando' (speak through singing), allowing for expressive and intuitive time relationships in the music.

Performer Biography

Harry Christophers, the founder and conductor of The Sixteen, was appointed a CBE in the Queen's 2012 Birthday Honours for his services to music.

Recording & Production

The recording sessions for this album involved a unique setup where the harpsichord was placed on top of the chamber organ, allowing the organist to switch between instruments easily.

Composition History

Monteverdi's Messa a quattro voci et salmi was published in 1650, over six years after his death, likely compiled by publisher Alessandro Vincenti from unpublished works.