Claudio Monteverdi - Vespers of 1610 (Robert Hollingworth)

Information

Composer: Claudio Monteverdi

• Vespers of 1610, SV 206

I Fagiolini

The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble

Robert Hollingworth, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: CORO

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Claudio Monteverdi’s landmark 1610 Vespers stands at the crossroads of Renaissance polyphony and early Baroque dramatic expression, redefining sacred music with emotional immediacy and virtuosic scope. Marking their 40th anniversary, Monteverdi specialists I Fagiolini and director Robert Hollingworth present a definitive, historically informed recording reflecting decades of expertise. Performed one-to-a-part, this intimate interpretation incorporates period-accurate organ pitch (mezzo tuono), customized brass timbres, and fresh insights into tempo transitions. Combining scholarly rigor with deeply personal vocal artistry, this release illuminates every dramatic nuance of Monteverdi’s masterpiece, highlighting its enduring balance between historical tradition and groundbreaking innovation.

British choral director and conductor Robert Hollingworth (b. 1966) is the founder and artistic director of the acclaimed vocal ensemble I Fagiolini. Since establishing the group at Oxford in 1986, he has earned global recognition for groundbreaking, genre-crossing projects, such as The Full Monteverdi and How Like An Angel, and an extensive, award-winning discography featuring works by Striggio, Byrd, and Monteverdi. Alongside guest conducting premier European choirs and orchestras, Hollingworth leads the MA in solo-voice ensemble singing at the University of York, serves as director of Stour Music, and reaches wide audiences through BBC Radio 3 broadcasting and the Choral Chihuahua podcast.