I Fagiolini‘s very interesting programme of music by Monteverdi and his contemporaries pulls together a wide range of works, but somehow lacks an ensemble feel. These “Other Vespers” are not exclusively by Monteverdi: Robert Hollingworth has included pieces by Monteverdi’s contemporaries Bovicelli, Donati, Usper, Viadana and Gabrieli, as well as earlier bits from Monteverdi’s own corpus (such as his 1624 Salve, O Regina). So, this is a Vespers from a range of time periods, a range of hands and a range of styles; and despite some lovely music-making, it made for a very uneven concert experience at Saffron Hall.
