Monteverdi-L'Orfeo (Ainsley/Lascarro/Amsterdam/Stubbs)
Intense and refined performances by an inspired cast, led by a profound and commanding John Mark Ainsley as the legendary tragic musician, are sustained with fluent ease and obvious affection by the ensemble under Stephen Stubbs.
The beautifully styled, evocative stage production, rich with Pierre Audi's trademark symbolism, accentuates the solemn serenity of Monteverdi's most famous work to create a moving and timeless experience.
Monteverdi-L'incoronazione Di Poppea (Haymon/Balleys/Amsterdam/Rousset)
Almost four decades before creating his Poppea, Monteverdi wrote in the preface to his fifth book of madrigals, 'The modern composer must create his works solely on the basis of the truth' - a credo to which the music of his final opera is utterly faithful. Poppea is a potent work from opera's first true creator and pioneering genius. The fact that, at the close of this highly charged 'dramma in musica', he allows evil to triumph over good (albeit temporarily) has frequently led to his being decried as amoral. Monteverdi's timeless masterpiece, which creates a deep involvement in performers and audiences alike, is brilliantly captured in this High Definition live recording of Pierre Audi's moving and beautifully styled production from Het Muziektheater Amsterdam in 1994.
Monteverdi-Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria (Rolfe Johnson/Araya/Wilson)
In his penultimate opera, based on text adapted from Homer's Odyssey, Monteverdi ventures further than ever before into the depths of human emotion. In this 'dramma in musica' human frailty falls victim to time, fortune and love. Gods and humans, comic and intensely serious characters and spectacular scenic effects are brought together in a wonderfully rich and effective texture. Pierre Audi's highly stylised and timeless production is captured here in a live recording from Het Muziektheater Amsterdam in 1998.
Monteverdi-Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (ASKO/Porcelijn)
Monteverdi's operatic scene for three voices Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, with a libretto drawn from Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata, is a vivid romance set against the backdrop of the First Crusade, in which the noble knight Tancredi fights a duel with a supposed Saracen warrior only to discover, too late, that the vanquished opponent dying in his arms is none other than his beloved Clorinda in disguise. In this dramatic and intimate performance, staged with precision by Pierre Audi, musical director David Porcelijn gives great attention to the phrasing and dynamic demands of the score, leading the ASKO Ensemble and the singers to transparent brilliance.