The Thirteen and Matthew Robertson: Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610
Acis

Listening to The Thirteen's exquisite rendition of Vespers of 1610 by Renaissance and Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), one is struck by the incredible variety of the presentation and how incredibly well the work has aged. Whereas a pop song from the ‘70s might now sound painfully dated, Monteverdi's masterwork sounds as fresh as the day it first appeared, despite having been created over five hundred years ago. The Thirteen was founded in 2012 by Matthew Robertson as an outfit comprising twelve singers and himself as conductor but in the years since has grown into a collective whose size changes in accordance with the music performed. Anywhere from eight to fifty singers and instrumentalists might be called upon to bring a specific work into being. As Vespers of 1610 clearly illustrates, The Thirteen is a specialist in early music, yet the group's recent world premiere recording of Scott Ordway's The Outer Edge of Youth shows it's as comfortable tackling contemporary material.

Over forty performers were involved in the Monteverdi recording, which spreads its ninety-four minutes across two discs. Partnering with The Thirteen on the project are the early modern brass ensemble Dark Horse Consort and the award-winning Children's Chorus of Washington. The work's instrumental colours are rich and varied, with two violins, cello, two theorbos, two cornetti, continuo organ, and four sackbuts (an early version of the trombone) and recorders bringing period authenticity to the performance. The Thirteen is represented by ten vocalists on the release, three sopranos, one mezzo-soprano, four tenors, one baritone, and one bass-baritone. Included in that mix is Michele Kennedy, who recently collaborated with AGAVE on its In Her Hands album and who in this context delivers “Nigra sum et formosa” (“I am black and beautiful”), the aria changed from tenor to soprano for the project.

Liner notes by Oberlin Musicology professor Steven Plank provide historical background and insightful analysis. Vespers, he notes, “is a liturgy offered in the early evening, chiefly consisting of a number of psalms, a hymn, and the canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-55).” Brief antiphons, enchantingly sung by the Children's Chorus, appear alongside sacred concertos for solo or a few voices. In alternating between intimate and ensemble episodes and chanting and singing, an undulating effect is produced that adds to the spellbinding impact of the performance.

It begins with the enrapturing fanfare “Deus, in audjutorium” and then quickly moves into the first of six stirring antiphons as well as the first of many splendid psalms, “Dixit Dominus,” dazzling in its mix of recitation, vocal expressions by solo and multiple singers, and instrumental ornament. Arriving after that soaring treatment, Kennedy's solo aria provides an intimate and touching counterpoint, its impact bolstered by restrained instrumental backing. Another resplendent vocal setting, “Laudate, pueri, Dominum,” leads into “Pulchra es, amica mea,” a showcase for the mesmerizing artistry of sopranos Molly Quinn and Katelyn Jackson. The concerto “Duo Seraphim,” on the other hand, features a stunning tapestry of male voices, in this case tenors Aaron Sheehan, Stephen Soph, and Oliver Mercer. Its impact is intensified by having each singer's flourish followed by the others, the staggered trio delivery evoking the Trinity. A celestial connection is established thereafter in “Audi coelum verba mea” when a regular vocal part is partnered with an echo voice to suggest dialogue between a human soul and heaven. One glorious setting follows after another, from “Laetatus sum” and “Nisi Dominus” to the largely instrumental “Sonata sopra sancta Maria” and moving “Hymn: Ave maris stella" featuring Kennedy, Jackson, and bass-baritone Edmund Milly.

January 2024