Claudio Monteverdi: Selva Morale e Spirituale

The Israeli Vocal Ensemble
Assistant Conductor Magdalena Klein (USA)
Music Director Yuval Benozer Assistant Conductor: Joel Sivan 
Barrocade Soloists:
Violin Shlomit Sivan, Rachel Ringelstein
Violone Amit Tifenbrunn
Theorbo Ophira Zakai
Organ and harpsichord Izhar Kershon
Guest Conductor Steven Sloane (USA-Germany)

Concert duration: 1:04:50 hours

Live recorded at Tel Aviv Museum of Art in 28.12.18.

The collection Moral and Spiritual Forest, an extensive and rich masterpiece by Claudio Monteverdi, was published in 1641, two years before his death. This is the most important anthology since his Vespers of 1610. This vast collection includes several madrigals to texts by poets Petrarch and Grillo but mostly religious works – Masses, Magnificats, Motets and Psalms – all written during Monteverdi’s 30 years as music director and conductor of the Church of San Marco in Venice. Monteverdi’s genius, versatility, innovation and penchant for drama — are all reflected in the wonderful, varied music in this collection. The great diversity is also expressed in the ensembles for which the works were written, from a single voice to 8 voices, from a-cappella works to works accompanied by rich instruments. Also included in program instrumental music by Monteverdi’s contemporaries.

Program: 

Beatus Vir primo (from Selva Morale e Spirituale)
Tutti and Soloists: Noam Avidan, Taliya Dishon, Hadas Dahari, Yonathan Suissa, Daniel Portnoy, Roy Fridman
Text:  Psalms 112

Confitebor terzo (from Selva Morale e Spirituale)
Tutti and Soloists: Noam Avidan, Nava Sahar

Crucifixus (from Selva Morale e Spirituale)
Ensemble: Era Givoni, Tamar Landsberg, Gabriel Goler,
Ori Batchko, Yonathan Suissa, Moshe Hass, Daniel Portnoy,
Oded Amir, Yoav Essing, Joel Sivan, Roy Fridman, Ronen Ravid

Text: from the Credo

~Instrumental Interlude
Marco Uccellini: Aria Quinta: Sopra la Bergamasca

 Players: Barrocade Soloists

Sestina: Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata
(SV 111, from the Sixth Book of Madrigals)
Choir preparation: Joel Sivan
Text: Scipione Agnelli (1586-1653)

~Instrumental Interlude
Dario Castello: Sonata Concertante in stil moderno
Players: Barrocade Soloists

Voi ch’ascoltate (from Selva Morale e Spirituale)
Soloists: Avivit Hochstadter,   Yonathan Suissa, 
Daniel Portnoy, Ori Batchko,  Roy Fridman                                          
Text: Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) 

È questa Vita un lampo (from Selva Morale e Spirituale)
Soloists: Taliya Dishon,  Nava Sahar, Hadas Dahari, Oded Amir, Ronen Ravid
Text: Angelo Grillo (1557–1629)

~Instrumental Interlude
Giovanni Paolo Cima: Sonata á tre

Players: Barrocade Soloists

“Adoramus Te” (SV 289)
Text: from the Catholic tradition

Laudate Dominum Primo (from Selva Morale e Spirituale)
Tutti and Soloists: Noam Avidan, Avivit Hochstadter,
Yonathan Suissa, Daniel Portnoy,  Joel Sivan
Text: Psalms 117  

Dixit Dominus Secondo (from Selva Morale e Spirituale) 

Tutti and Soloists: Maria Liyubman, Naomi Brill-Engel,
Idit Magal, Tamar Landsberg, Ori Batchko, Daniel Portnoy,
Roy Fridman, Ronen Ravid                                                  
Text: Psalms 110