"Vespers of the Virgin" by C. Monteverdi in Torrevieja

The monumental work "Vespro della Beata Vergine" by Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643), known as the "Vespers of Mary," resounded last Tuesday at the Auditorio Internacional. The performer of this religious work, brilliant in its sonic invention, was a magnificent orchestra - Capella de Ministrers under the direction of Carles Magraner, which specializes in performing early music on period instruments. It is a great honor for a somewhat small number of local early music lovers to be able to admire the work of Monteverdi and performers with such a great track record of outstanding performances on stages around the world. Also taking part in the performance of this extraordinary work were the choirs; Coro AVocal CdM, Escolania de la mare de Déu dels Desamparats - (boys' choir) and wonderful soloists.

monteverdi's "Vespers" is visionary music. It is difficult to find in the entire musical literature of the early Baroque a similar work, combining subtle lyricism with sumptuous splendor and grandeur.... The expansive composition consists of psalms, hymns, motets and a final Magnificat. Regarding the performance, I think it's actually unnecessary to review-assess, because all the conditions needed for a great musical and spiritual experience were met by the artists. The entire performing ensemble impressed with excellent preparation and readiness to take on this enormous performance and artistic challenge. There were no fireworks, but there was an effect that transported the audience to another dimension of experiencing. I was impressed by the orchestra, soloists, choirs and maestro Carles Magraner - artists who were able to convey the brilliance and greatness of C.Monteverdi's masterpiece, while knowing what to take care of to enable music lovers to have a great spiritual and musical experience, lasting almost 100 minutes.

Thanks to the excellent performers, "Vespers of Mary" sounded extremely fresh, lively, colorful and varied. Maestro Carles Magramer gave the performance an incredible lightness and exquisite vitality, avoiding the overly heavy and depressing sound typical of the Baroque era. There was no shortage of opportunities to admire the orchestra's greatest asset: its silky, soft and sophisticated piano and unison with tempo changes introduced by the demanding conductor.

The sound of the choirs was characterized by artful interpretation with well-balanced dynamic nuances, so that new timbral qualities were also revealed as the work progressed. Throughout the performance, the choirs and soloists maintained extremely effective communication with the conductor, whose every gesture produced highly audible results, offering a coherent and clear sonic matter. A reliable sense of style and a very positive overall impression were also left by the performances of the excellent vocal soloists, some of whom came from the choir.

To sum up, it was an evening full of emotions - from concentration and contemplation to the emotion brought by communing with music that can equally move the intellect and the soul.We should thank all the performers for this great, spiritually unique artistic experience, and the organizers for the organization and the opportunity to participate in such an excellent concert.