Monteverdi: Vespro di Natale

The CD was nominated for an OPUS Klassik in the category “Choral Works Recording” and “Editorial Achievement” for sound engineer Markus Heiland.

A Christmas Vespers in Venice at the time of Claudio Monteverdi

Andrea Marcon and his ensemble La Cetra have recorded a magnificent Vespro veneziano, as it might have sounded in St Mark’s Cathedral in Venice in the 17th century. With this double album, the celebrated Ensemble & Choir La Cetra from Basel present a colourful baroque Christmas vespers with compositions by Claudio Monteverdi, Giovanni Gabrieli, Alessandro Grandi, Francesco Usper and Giovanni Valentini.The project was recorded in the church of Santa Caterina in Treviso, which allowed the use of a large medium-tone organ: the tonal possibilities of this organ have influenced numerous aspects of the musical interpretation. These include a sharpening and differentiation of the affetti and the chiaroscuri (the sharp contrasts so typical of the early 17th century), of the harmonic tension and an enlargement and intensification of the dynamic palette of the ensemble. All this adds up to a surprisingly modern, grandiose, glittering and lively sound picture of Monteverdi’s music, which makes the Splendore di Venezia immediately tangible to the senses.This is how a Vespers in a solemn liturgy of the Christmas season at the beginning of the 17th century in Venice might have sounded under the direction of Claudio Monteverdi: an extraordinary picture of Italian church music of the early Baroque. Buon natale!

We thank the donors without whom this recording would not have been possible.

In particular, we would like to thank the Sulger Foundation and Ricola.

Press commentary

“A Christmas Vespers in Venice, as Claudio Monteverdi might have performed it in San Marco around 1640, has been put together by Andrea Marcon and his ensemble La Cetra; a sophisticated programme with sung psalms, concerti and organ intonations (DGG/Universal). Sonically overwhelming, also in terms of sound engineering, a magnificent sonata by Giovanni Gabrieli for baroque trombones, tines and solo violins, as well as the great Magnificat by Monteverdi. … What an uplifting Christmas Eve this would have to be in St Mark’s Cathedral!”

FAZ, 3. December 2022, Anja-Rosa Thöming

Satisfaction is also guaranteed with Monteverdi’s Christmas Vespers — not a work that actually exists, though the speculative collection of pieces gathered by Andrea Marcon and his group La Cetra proves utterly compelling and uplifting. Part of the album’s joy lies in the recording’s resonant church acoustic and the period tang of the on-site organ — key agents in fusing together singers and instrumentalists in contrapuntal glory.

The Times, 14. December 2022, Geoff Brown

As far as Gabrieli and Monteverdi are concerned, the Italian organist and conductor Andrea Marcon has taken heart and put together suitable works by them to create a great Christmas mass. This is how it might have sounded in Venice on Christmas Eve, when Monteverdi was responsible for the music in San Marco. … The “La Cetra Baroque Orchestra” under the direction of Marcon knows its craft and conjures up a firework of sound made of colours and artfully entangled melodic progressions.

Süddeutsche Zeitung, 24. December 2022, Helmut Mauró (Quelle)

Divine music.

Now it is finally here, the great recording of Claudio Monteverdi’s “Ves- pro di Natale”. Andrea Marcon, head of the La Cetra Baroque Orchestra and Vocal Ensemble, has reconstructed the Vespers as they might have sounded in San Marco. The organ in mid-tone tuning unfolds a sonic splendour that never stifles the vocal and instrumental voices. The orchestra and the vocal ensemble conducted by Carlos Federico Sepúlveda develop an enormous richness of colour. The rhythms embedded in the basso continuum are concise, sometimes springy, then pausing again; the agility of the strings and winds is captivating, as is their sonority. The gates to heaven open with this double album.

ProgrammZeitung, December 2022, Christan Fluri

Worth it!

So much reverb, tine fire and choral euphony was rare. Andrea Marcon and the La Cetra Baroque Orchestra and Vocal Ensemble Basel have ventured to reconstruct a “Vespro di Natale”, a Christmas vespers for Venice. The surprise lies in the delightful alternation of the styles of organ intonations, psalms and motets of the musical practice of the time

RONDO Ausgabe 6 / 2022, Carsten Hinrichs

Musically, the lush sonic splendour of the late Renaissance: a lively change of rhythms and time signatures and exceedingly virtuoso ornamentation and diminutions in voices and instruments. Andrea Marcon and his singers and musicians of Basel’s La Cetra Ensemble reconstruct a Christmas celebration in Venice’s St Mark’s Cathedral at the time of Claudio Monteverdi, who was the musical director here for over 30 years. Of course, Monteverdi chose his own pieces for such a celebration – about half of them are here as well. … In addition, there is a whole series of other sound creators of those years, which fit beautifully into this jubilant song about the birth of the Christian Saviour. … Andrea Marcon put this programme together years ago for La Cetra’s Christmas concerts, and together they have performed it in many places around the world. The ensemble even speaks of a “signature piece”.

bz Basel, 1. December 2022, Reinmar Wagner

The orchestra, lush with winds and strings in accordance with historical tradition, prepares a dark, full-toned background for the stylistically well-trained singers, who soar to virtuoso and tasteful improvisations, on which they can stand out radiantly.

Oper!, November 2022, Stephan Schwarz-Peters

With this recording, Andrea Marcon and the La Cetra Barockorchester & Vokalensemble Basel have succeeded in making a hit. La Cetra plays with the usual joy, precision and sonority as the Vokalensemble Basel, directed by Carlos Federico Sepúlveda, convinces with a present, passionate sound.

onlinemerker.com, 15. December 2022, Jan Krobot

The festive opening is the same as in Monteverdi’s Mariavesper, and as there, the motets and psalms follow one another in constantly changing instrumentations, from two tender-voiced countertenors to polyphonic splendour with jubilant brass. The music and singing by Marcon’s baroque ensemble La Cetra and the high solo voices are brilliant. The greatest asset of this recording in a former church in Treviso is the Renaissance organ, restored in 1998, which sonorously complements the sombre timbres.

translated from De Volkskrant, 22 December 2022, Jenny Camilleri (Quelle)

Recorded in August and now released on a stunning double album, the final version of this hour-and-a-half reconstruction spanning forty years of Venice is a very exciting, powerful, sparkling and uninterrupted performance. (…)

Andrea Marcon and his Baroque ensembles take their listeners on a journey through a wonderful musical experience based on colourful, authentic sounds and outstanding, stylish singing

translated from alfoldiregiomagazine, 17 December 2022, József Komlós (Quelle)

The singers are all very good: the ensemble is excellent, and the concertos for solo voices are given outstanding interpretations. The instrumental parts are colourful and deliver a major contribution to the impact of this recording. 

Musica Dei Donum 2022, Johan van Veen (Quelle)