Italian conductor and musicologist Rinaldo Alessandrini takes the Disc of the Month laurels for this issue, with a reconstruction of a putative vespers service as it might have been directed by Monteverdi himself, bringing together material from the 1610 Vespers and the Selva morale e spirituale of thirty yeasr later and making creative use of the sumptuous acoustics of the Basilica Santa Barbara in Mantua. You can read the David Smith's exclusive interview with Alessandrini about the project here.
Also mentioned in dispatches are the final volume of Leif Ove Andsnes's mighty 'Beethoven Journey' on Sony with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (coming to a blazing close with the Emperor Concerto and Choral Fantasy), Joseph Moog flying the flag for the neglected Polish composer Franz Xaver Scharwenka, a persuasive account of Schoenberg's uncompromising Moses und Aron from Sylvain Cambreling and co., and more…
Recording of the Month
Monteverdi Vespri solenni per la Festa di San Marco
Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini
'Their most essential Monteverdian work in donkey’s years.'
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 24 bit)
Editor's Choices
The Beethoven Journey: Piano Concerto No. 5 & Choral Fantasia
Leif Ove Andsnes, Mahler Chamber Orchestra
'Having used up my stash of superlatives, all I can say is: go buy.'
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 14, 16 & 19
Cuarteto Casals
'Cuarteto Casals shatter a glass ceiling of historic inhibitions and camouflage nothing'
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Tchaikovsky & Scharwenka: Piano Works
Joseph Moog
'One of the modern era’s best recordings of this work.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Byrd & Philips: Adoramus te
Clare Wilkinson, Rose Consort of Viols
'Clare Wilkinson turns in perhaps the finest performances I can remember from her in this repertory.'
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Nachtviolen: Schubert Lieder
Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber
'Gerhaher catches the anguish and desolation without ever compromising beauty of tone and breadth of line.'
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg & EuropaChorAkademie, Sylvain Cambreling
'Extraordinarily intense austerity.'
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 44.1 kHz, 16 bit)
