Following a critically acclaimed performance at the Lammermuir Festival in September 2016,
John Butt and the
Dunedin Consort recorded
Claudio Monteverdi's Vespro dell Beata Vergine at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh in March 2017. Of the many new releases and reissues of this Baroque masterpiece that marked celebrations of
Monteverdi's 450th anniversary, this luminous rendition of the 1610 Vespers is one of the most exciting and satisfying for its virtuosity and brilliance. Presented with ten vocalists -- sopranos
Joanne Lunn and
Esther Brazil, altos
Amy Lyddon and
Rory McCleery, tenors
Joshua Ellicott,
Matthew Long,
Nicholas Mulroy, and
Peter Harris, and basses
Peter Harvey and
William Gaunt -- the choral textures are a bit thinner and more exposed than one might expect or want, but considering the complexity of
Monteverdi's counterpoint, the leaner choir proves agile, if not as impressive as the large choirs in some mainstream performances. The period instruments of
His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts give a rousing and colorful accompaniment, and the higher tuning (A = 466Hz) gives the group a brighter tone than one typically encounters, even in historically informed performances. The recording captures the performers with close-up presence, though there is sufficient resonance in the church setting to give the ensemble a radiant glow.