VESPRO DELLA BEATA VERGINE

Vincent Bouchot, Ludus Modalis, Benoît Descamps, Mélusine de Pas, Anne-Marie Blondel, Volny Hostiou, Bruno Boterf, Jean-Luc Ho, Anne Magouët, Franck Poitrineau, Serge Goubioud, Alice Duport-Percier, Kaoli Isshiki-Didier, Edwige Parat

The present recording constitutes more than just a new version of the Vespers. It is the first recording of the Vespers in the alternative version proposed by the composer, without concertato instruments. It reveals the underlying matrix of the work we all know, the ‘original version’ to which Monteverdi added concertato instruments for use in large-scale performances. Respecting the structure of the Office of Vespers, Ludus Modalis has chosen to frame the psalms with the antiphons corresponding to a Marian ceremony. The interpretation proposed here is one influenced by the Renaissance tradition. It places the work in perspective in a musical world at the point of equilibrium between prima and seconda prattica, between the achievements of tradition and the contributions of modernity.

Monteverdi:
 Vespro della beata Vergine (1610) 

"Boterf brings us a Vespers of unique beauty, in a version Claudio Monteverdi had printed by which until now has never been recorded…Boterf’s stripped-back Vespers offers a more sumptuous array of colours and vocal artistry than many standard recordings…Boterf gilds Monteverdi’s polyphony by using two trebles in an otherwise one-to-apart ensemble. This delicate imbalance yields an astonishing range of affect."
BBC Music Magazine - January 2019 *****