Prom Number 61 Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, aka Vespro della Beata Vergine.
I booked this because of one of the soloists, soprano Carolyn Sampson, who delighted me a few months back in Beethoven and Mozart at the Royal Festival Hall.
It suddenly occurred to me this afternoon that I don't know this piece. then, something on the CD rack caught my eye - I have a recording of it. Which I played, and realised I do like.
So, off to the Albert Hall, usual ritual, except that three minutes, two minutes, one minute before the concert was due to begin I couldn't find my ticket. Panic. I even explained to the steward. Then I found it, in among the pages of my programme. Phew!
It was only a small orchestra, and the choir was perhaps two dozen. Gorgeous looking instruments - all period. Gorgeous sounding too, especially the sackbuts and chitarrones
Having perhaps overdosed on Wagner in the past couple of weeks, and, especially over the weekend, it was a delightful contrast to enjoy an hour and three-quarters of Monteverdi. I don't know whether it's specific to the Albert Hall, or whether I happened to be sitting in an acoustic white spot, but it just sounded gorgeous. All that plainsong woven with polyphony is just magical. Airy, light and soaring.
I enjoyed all the voice soloists. I don't especially like counter-tenors and high tenors, for example, but I did enjoy the three we had this evening (And note to the woman sitting on my right - counter-tenors are not the same as castrati...!). I also very much liked the bass. However, I was pleased to hear that Carolyn Sampson, who had sounded good at the RFH sounded exquisite this evening. Then, I used the words sweetness and clarity, and I would repeat that now. I'm not a great soprano freak, either, especially not light sopranos, but I do love her voice, and am looking forward to seeing here in Semele at ENO in October.
I also enjoyed the fact that this was not a static performance. For much of the time, the choir was grouped behind the orchestra, but occasionally different soloists, including instrumentalists would go to the back of the stage, or even high up in the gods in the gallery. The instrumentalists, especially the chitarronists and recorder-players came and went. Some people might find it distracting, but I think the movement is interesting and the use of space adds something to the performance.
Overall, I wouldn't say that the performance was exceptional, but it measured up well alongside the version I know. It was a good rendition of an achingly beautiful piece of music. Overall contemplative, but with such variety.
But what is it that people have to say that can't wait until the end of the concert, or at the very least, until the end of that particular piece. Is it verbal diarrhoea, or is it an inability to listen and feel the music and be carried away to another place. And don't they know how penetrating a whisper can be...!
Carolyn Sampson soprano
Rebecca Outram soprano
Charles Humphries counter-tenor
Daniel Auchincloss high tenor
Nicholas Mulroy high tenor
Charles Daniels tenor
James Gilchrist tenor
Matthew Vine tenor
Robert Evans bass
Robert Macdonald bass
Choir of The King's Consort
The King's Consort
Robert King conductor
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