Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Messa per Maria Salute
La Capella Ducale, Musica Fiata/Roland Wilson
rec. 2022, Lindenkirche, Berlin-Wilmersdorf
Texts and translations available with digital version only
cpo 555 561-2 [77]

In 1630 the plague hit Venice, brought by ambassadors seeking help from Venice against the Imperial army. It raged for nearly two years. The Doge made a vow to build a new church to the Virgin Mary if the plague would cease: Santa Maria della Salute. The first stone was laid in April 1631, and the plague began to abate. On 21 November there was general public rejoicing at its disappearance. Monteverdi wrote the music for three masses: the Vow, the Laying of the Foundations and the End of the Plague. This last is what we are offered here in a reconstruction by Roland Wilson.

At this point, old hands will point out that we have been here before. In 1989 Andrew Parrott and his Taverner Consort, Choir and Players made and recorded a widely praised reconstruction of the mass, under the title Mass of Thanksgiving. (First issued on EMI Reflexe, this has been reissued several times.) However, there are several differences between Parrott’s approach and Wilson’s. They both draw from Monteverdi’s 1641 publication, Selva morale e spirituale, notably the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus and Agnus Dei. However, there is an important difference in their handling of the Credo. Monteverdi published only three sections of this: Crucifixus, Et Resurrexit and Et iterum. For the missing sections, Parrott used settings by Giovanni Rovetta, who was Monteverdi’s assistant. It is possible that this was also done at the premiere. However, Wilson decided to supply the missing sections from other parts of the Selva and also contributed some short sections himself. These seem convincing enough to me. He also uses fewer interpolated motets and other pieces, which makes his version shorter than Parrott’s, and able to fit onto one disc, where Parrott spills over onto a second.

The other main difference is in the instrumentation. Monteverdi wrote for two trombe squarciarte. These were slide trumpets, made on a similar principle to trombones. The slide made it possible for the instruments to play a complete chromatic scale before the invention of valves in the nineteenth century. The parts do not survive but have been reconstructed. As well as the ordinary of the Mass, Wilson gives us a introductory fanfare-like piece by Andrea Gabrieli at the beginning and five solo motets: Laudate Dominum, Jubilet tota Civitas, Ab Aeterno ordinata sum, Salve Regina – Audi Coelum and Pianto della Madonna. Then there is the Pianto della Madonna, an adaptation of the celebrated Lamento d’Arianna as a sacred work. In conclusion there are the Laetaniae della Beata Vergine.

So much for the thinking behind the reconstruction. How does it work as a performance? |I enjoyed it very much. The forces are the right size both to make a splendid noise and to offer the flexibility which Monteverdi’s lines require.  The music moves along quite briskly, with a light, dancing and joyous feeling.  The singers are delightful and the orchestra, details of which are given, provides enthusiastic support. How those slide trumpets cut through! Even if you have Parrott’s version, you should consider this. Texts and translations are not provided with the physical booklet, and while they are available in the digital version of the booklet, they are hard to find otherwise. However, if you have a set of the Selva, you have them already. If they had been included in the booklet, I would have given this an enthusiastic recommendation.

Stephen Barber

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