Vespro Della Beata Vergine (1989)

This large-scale live recording (Gardiner's second) was made in Venice's St Mark's Basilica. It captures the drama as well as the ceremonial aspect of the work, despite sometimes cloudy recorded sound.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide. “Gardiner's second [recording of the Vespers], spectacularly recorded live in St Mark's, has a punchy choral sound, near-operatic solo singing (Bryn Terfel and Alistair Miles are among the basses), emphatic enunciation, big contrasts and deliberate exploitation of the building's spaces. Its outright theatricality sets it apart from other performances.

Cast

John Eliot Gardiner

Conductor

Ann Monoyios

Soprano

Marinella Pennicchi

Soprano

Mark Tucker

Tenor

Nigel Robson

Tenor

Sandro Naglia

Tenor

Bryn Terfel

Bass

Alastair Miles

Bass