Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers
At Washington National Cathedral
January 8-9, 2010
The resonant reaches of Washington National Cathedral provide a magnificent venue for Claudio Monteverdi’s timeless masterpiece Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, published in Venice in 1610. Monteverdi, a master of both old and avant-garde style, composed a work both retrospective and startlingly new—the grand Psalm settings are meditations on the age-old Gregorian chants, and the “sacred songs” are Monteverdi’s bold introduction of the latest theatrical style to liturgical music. Unlike most modern performances of the Vespers , the Folger Consort’s period version, without conductor, features one-on-a-part instrumentalists and vocal soloists who also serve as the choir.
Folger Consort
Artistic Directors
Robert Eisenstein
Christopher Kendall
Voices
Johana Arnold--soprano
Peter Becker--baritone
Francois Loup--baritone
Dustin Lucas--tenor
Michael McCarthy--baritone
Ann Monoyios--soprano
Robert Petillo--tenor
Lawrence Reppert--tenor
Aaron Sheehan--tenor
Matthew Smith--tenor
Orchestra
Julie Andrijeski--violin
Risa Browder-viola
Michael Collver--cornetto
Robert Eisenstein--violin
Nina Falk--violoa
Christopher Kendall--theorbo
John Moran--cello
J. Tracy Mortimore--violone
Mack Ramsey--trombone, cornetto
William Simms--theorbo
Dan Stillman--trombone
Kiri Tollaksen--cornetto
Webb Wiggins--organ
Tom Zajac--trombone
