CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI Vespro della Beata Vergine (Venice, 1610) La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe

A flamboyant manifesto of the Baroque revolution.
In autumn of 1610 Monteverdi dedicated a luxuriant collection of religious music to Pope Paul V, of which the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin is by far the most prodigious work. A spectacular synthesis of Franco-Flemish polyphony and Italian innovations, this impressive monument imposed itself as the standard-bearer of the Monteverdian revolution. But the real miracle is his ability to reconcile solemnity and suavity with the most genuine fervour.
This title was released for the first time in 1987.