It is surely a good
thing that so many recordings of such
a large variety of ‘art’ music are now
available from labels which set out
to sell music rather than artists, and
consequently can sell discs at budget
prices. Naxos has led the field in this
regard producing consistently good new
recordings of music which otherwise
would not find the broad market it deserves.
On occasion they have reached superlative
heights, the recordings of the organ
works of Weckmann and of the Membra
Jesu Nostri cantatas of Buxtehude are
both extremely compelling.
Another approach to
this market employed by a number of
labels has been to re-release older
recordings and sell them with minimal
booklets at low prices. Harmonia Mundi
has does this very successfully using
older recordings from their own catalogue.
This Apex release of the 1610 Vespers
of Monteverdi also falls into this category.
Recorded in 1966 this is a ground-breaking
and much heralded first recording by
Michel Corboz and his still-active Ensemble
Vocal et Instrumental de Lausanne for
Erato. They use a mix of cornetti and
otherwise modern instruments. The quality
of the performance is undeniably high,
the soloists excellent, and the overall
sense of a ‘questing spirit’ still compelling.
Especially interesting is the highly
inventive organ continuo playing from
none other than a young Guy Bovet. Of
course the problems encountered when
performing ‘Vespers’ today are considered
within a very different set of parameters
than in 1966, especially as regards
issues such as temperament, forces (here
the choir seems rather large, the continuo
group rather small), playing and singing
techniques (for example application
of vibrato by both singers and string
players, and especially vocal ornamentation),
tempi, (and more especially tempo relationships
where the meter changes), rhythmic drive
etc. To judge this recording by today’s
standards of course is a pointless exercise
but to my ear the rather woolly sound
and lack of focus render this an interesting
study in the performance practices of
forty years ago rather than a recording
likely to grab the first-time listener.
This is a pity, especially as, by including
both Magnificats, this represents good
value. Apex’s concept is good, but to
meet a really mainstream audience today,
a forty year recording of this work
is simply too old.
Chris Bragg