LA TEMPÊTE – MONTEVERDI’S VESPERS

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI Vespro della beata vergine, SV 206

La Tempête
conductor Simon-Pierre Bestion

The French vocal-instrumental ensemble La Tempête was founded in 2015 by Simon-Pierre Bestion, who was driven by a deep desire to explore works with a highly personal and embodied commitment. This is evident in their unique take on Monteverdi’s Vespers. In the words of conductor Simon-Pierre Bestion, “Our interpretation finds its essence in the organic and emotional power of this truly spiritual opera dedicated to the Virgin Mary, sending the listener straight to the heart of Monteverdi’s powerful work. It plunges them into a chorus with powerful timbres and an orchestra bursting with colour, offering them a unique aural experience. Inspiration for the interpretation, choice of instruments and ornamentation is drawn from the rich history of Venice, which as an economic hegemon of the Middle Ages and part of the Renaissance was one of the breeding grounds of maritime and cultural exchange. We alternate between Gregorian antiphons, psalms in fauxbourdon taken from an anonymous 17th-century manuscript preserved in Carpentras, and Monteverdi’s own compositions. This gives a fairly realistic picture of what mid-17th-century musical practice might have looked like throughout the Mediterranean region: on the one hand, monodic sacred singing; on the other, the almost improvised practice of polyphony popular in churches; and finally, the more learned and concertante compositions nourished by these various practices.” The first visit to the Czech Republic of this rising star of period performance promises to be a spectacular experience.