Claudio Monteverdi
On 15 May in 1567 was born Claudio Monteverdi in Cremona, a singularly gifted musician in virtually all aspects of the art. He became crucial to musical life in Italy and was of enormous influence with his innovative development. of most musical forms. Monteverdi died in Venice on 29 November 1643.
A selection of articles about Claudio Monteverdi
Spotlight. A Near Unforgettable Experience - Gerald Fenech praises Krijn Koetsveld and Le Nuove Musiche for their new Monteverdi recording. '... breathtaking precision and technical proficiency that are simply stunning.'
Ensemble. A Triumph on Every Conceivable Level - Mike Wheeler reviews a production of Monteverdi's 'L'Orfeo' which merges cultural worlds
Ensemble. The Magical Countertenor Voice - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Raffaele Pé
CD Spotlight. Many Hidden Nuances - Monteverdi organ works, reviewed by Gerald Fenech. 'Kriju Koetsveld is a keen advocate of this repertoire ...'
Ensemble. Three Days in Ravenna - Giuseppe Pennisi samples Northern Italy's high profile and wide-ranging arts festival
Ensemble. A Call from On High - Mike Wheeler listens to the Sinfonia Viva Brass Quintet
CD Spotlight. A Philological Discovery - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a Naxos boxed set of Monteverdi madrigals. 'I think it was successful and is worth listening to by those accustomed to different ways of performing Monteverdi.'
Ensemble. Gesualdo and Friends - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Les Arts Florissants
Profile. Only the Screen - Ona Jarmalavičiūtė talks to the Belgian singer and conductor Tore Tom Denys
Ensemble. Ulysses' Homecoming - Giuseppe Pennisi was expecting a graduate performance of Monteverdi, but experienced a masterpiece
Ensemble. A Natural Assurance - Monteverdi and Elgar from the Three Choirs Festival at Hereford impress Roderic Dunnett
Ensemble. Richly Sonorous - Derby Bach Choir joins forces with Derventio Brass for music by Schütz, Bruckner, Elgar, Walton, Parry, Monteverdi and Rutter, heard by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Early Opera in the English Provinces - Roderic Dunnett applauds some of this year's successes and glances ahead to 2018
Ensemble. Modernizing Monteverdi and Mozart - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences two very different performances
CD Spotlight. Public Taste - Madrigals from Monteverdi's Venice period, highly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Paul Agnew and his famous choristers give highly exciting performances, with every poetic nuance exploited to maximum musical effect.'
Book Review. A Work of Profound Scholarship - Andrew Parrott's 'Composers' Intentions? Lost Traditions of Musical Performance', read by Roderic Dunnett
Ensemble. The Right Touch - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys the baroque show 'Aria' in Rome
Ensemble. The Old and the New - Contrasting concerts at the Sagra Musicale Umbra, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Treasured Crown - Roderic Dunnett reports in depth on last month's Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester
Ensemble. Nicely Varied - A seasonal programme from the Derwent Singers, heard by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. An Unusual Reading - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences an icy Paris/Milan production of Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppea'
Ensemble. Thoughtful Engagement - Monteverdi's 'Coronation of Poppaea', reviewed by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Spine-tingling - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen on tour
Ensemble. Spine-Tingling - Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 in Derby Cathedral, heard by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. A Relaxed Evening - Bill Newman attends a 'family sing-song' event in London
Ensemble. Very Juicy - Summer Opera in Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Finest of Them All - The 2012 Hereford Three Choirs Festival, reviewed by Roderic Dunnett
Ensemble. Sparkling Delight - Shirley Ratcliffe hears I Fagiolini at the Holt Festival
Ensemble. Emotional Awakening - More from the Buxton Festival, with Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Exotic Soundscapes - Two London concerts featuring music from the opera to the orient, attended by Malcolm Miller
Ensemble. An Eclectic Mix - Mieczyslaw Weinberg's 'The Portrait' at Opera North, experienced by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Music and Art - Karen Haid experiences Roma Opera Omnia
CD Spotlight. Great Purity - Performances by Deborah Roberts and friends, heard by Patric Standford. '... a recording to be treasured ...'
Ensemble. Artistic Magic - Seraphic Fire's Rachmaninov Vespers, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen
Ensemble. Electronics Prevails - 'Orphée' at the Roma-Europa Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Very Welcome - Robert Hugill experiences Stephen Oliver's 'Euridice'
Ensemble. Dramatic Strength - The 'Glory of God' through three Verdi operas at the Sferisterio Festival 2010, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Darkness to Light - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Ravenna Festival
Ensemble. A Fascinating Anthology - Music on the theme of angels, heard by Mike Wheeler
Timings - Universal Edition's preparations for the Mahler Centenary years (2010-2011), by Jennifer Paull
CD Spotlight. Motet and Lauda - Cantica Symphonia sing sixteenth century motets, and impress George Balcombe. '... so gentle yet precise ...'
Ensemble. Quite a Charmer - 'Alessandro' at the London Handel Festival, reviewed by Robert Hugill
Ensemble. A Delicate Balance - Cavalli's 'La Calisto', reviewed by Robert Hugill
CD Spotlight. Stylistic Eloquence - Italian arias and madrigals, recommended by Maria Nockin. '... performed with accuracy and grace.'
Postlude - Jennifer Paull writes on the 25th Anniversary of the death of Cathy Berberian
Rui dos Reis - Jennifer Paull interviews and investigates the Portuguese composer-pianist
Ensemble. Occasionally Stunning - Robert Hugill at English National Opera's 'The Coronation of Poppea'
Ensemble. The Power of Music - Performances of 'The Magic Flute' and 'Orfeo' from Opera North, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. A Very Unusual Evening - Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppea', reviewed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Vividly Dramatic - Monteverdi's 'Orfeo', reviewed by Robert Hugill
Strong Narrative Flow - A new book about Monteverdi's musical dramas, reviewed by Robert Hugill
Ensemble. Fizzing with Energy - The Sitwell Singers celebrate a 40th anniversary, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Consummate Style - Robert Hugill is won over by English National Opera's 'Orfeo'
Ensemble. Spell-binding - Venetian Baroque music from The Derbyshire Singers, reviewed by Mike Wheeler
DVD Spotlight. Confined to the shades - Monteverdi's 'Orfeo', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... Stephen Stubbs is to be congratulated on an imaginative realisation ...'
DVD Spotlight. Idiomatic performance - Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppaea', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... highly gifted soloists ...'
Ensemble. Changing moods - The Derwent Singers and Sinfonia Chorale, appreciated by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Heavenly exultation - An unforgettable première of Monteverdi's Vespers, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen
Cathy Berberian: Legacy - On the 40th anniversary of 'The Miniskirt Affair', Jennifer Paull sets the mood of the 1960s into which Cathy Berberian's imaginative style of recital programming shook the conventional rafters of 'classical music' through sheer daring - her legacy to music-making
DVD Spotlight. Wonderfully varied - Monteverdi's 'Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... moving drama and notable accomplishment.'
Ensemble. Oozing with talent - Birmingham Opera Company's 'Ulysses comes home', reviewed by Roderic Dunnett
Ensemble. Lack of balance - Rex Harley experiences Il Vero Modo
The Monteverdi allure - On the 360th anniversary of the death of Claudio Monteverdi, Rajgopal Nidamboor pays tribute to the first great composer of opera
Ensemble. Apotheosis of the madrigal - Roderic Dunnett enjoys 'L'incoronazione di Poppea' at London's Royal Academy of Music
Provocative thoughts, from Patric Standford - neglected genius
Venetian Splendour - Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert, with Malcolm Miller