# Vespro della Beata Vergine discography

This is a discography of the recordings of Vespro della Beata Vergine by Claudio Monteverdi – also known as his Vespers of 1610. Since the first vinyl recordings of the work in 1953, the Vespers have been recorded in numerous versions. Some versions are choral-based, others use one voice per part (OVPP). Some versions use modern instruments, but since the first recording on period instruments appeared in the 1960s their use has become normal. Sir John Eliot Gardiner has recorded the Vespers with both modern and period instruments, explaining that the latter are now played to a higher standard than when he made his first recording in the 1970s. In the late 1970s the Monteverdi orchestra, which he founded, transitioned to period instruments and became the English Baroque Soloists.
The recordings also reflect the fact that there is a debate about whether the Vespers were originally performed as a single work. Sometimes it has been decided to add material or omit items in order to replicate a church service. In a few cases, for example the Stevens recording, the "sacred concertos" that divide the psalms are replaced by antiphonal chants.
In the list, the "Year" column indicates year of initial issue of each recording. For pre-1982 recordings, details of the first compact disc issue are included; thereafter, all issues refer to CDs. Where the date of recording is significantly earlier than the issue date, a note has been added. Many of the recordings have been reissued, sometimes multiple times, often under different labels – reissue details are not included.

## List of recordings

| Year | Performers | Conductor | Label and number | Notes |
| 1953 | Univ of Illinois SO, The Oratorio Society | Leopold Stokowski | LP: Univ of Illinois CRS1 | LP format only. Incomplete: items not in the usual order. Modern instruments. |
| 1953 | Swabian Choral Singers, Stuttgart Bach Orch. | Hans Grischkat | LP: STUX 52004 | LP format only. Based on Redlich edition; items not in the usual order. Modern instruments. |
| 1953 | London St Anthony Singers, Oiseau-Lyre Orch | Anthony Lewis | | LP format only. Modern instruments. |
| 1967 | Lausanne Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble | Michel Corboz | LP: Erato STU 70325-7 CD (1990): Apex 2564 61429-2 (reissued, other labels) | Period instruments. |
| 1967 | Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg, Vienna Concertus Musicians | Jürgen Jürgens | LP: Telefunken AWT 9501-2 CD (1994): Teldec 4509 92175-2 | Period instruments. |
| 1967 | Gregg Smith Singers, Texas Boys Choir of Fort Worth, Colombia Baroque Ensemble | Robert Craft | LP: Columbia M2L 363 CD (1996): Sony 62656 | Items in not in the usual order. Modern instruments. |
| 1967 | Deller Consort, French National Radio Choir and Orchestra | Maurice Le Roux | LP: Concert Hall Soc. SMS 2518 CD (1988): Adès OR13.270-2 | Modern instruments. |
| 1967 | Ambrosian Singers, Orch. of the Accademia Monteverdiana | Denis Stevens | LP: Vanguard VCS 10001/2 | LP format only. Stevens edition, replaces concertos with plainchant antiphons. Modern instruments. |
| 1968 | Polifonica Ambrosiana Choir and Orchestra | Giuseppe Biella | LP: Musica Antiqua Sacra PAB 1306/07 | LP format only. Omits concertos |
| 1970 | Berlin Radio Ensemble, Berlin Chamber Orchestra | Helmut Koch | LP: Eterna 8 26056/7 | LP format only. Based on an edition by Walter Goehr – omits both Magnificats. Modern instruments. |
| 1975 | Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Salisbury Cathedral Choir, David Munrow Recorder Ensemble | John Eliot Gardiner | LP: Decca SET593/4 CD (1986): Decca 414 573/4-2, (reissued) | Modern instruments. |
| 1975 | Regensburg Cathedral Choir and Instrumental Ensemble | Hanns-Martin Schneidt | LP: Archiv 2710 017 CD (1996): Archiv 447 719-2 | Based on edition of Gottfried Wolters. Period instruments. |
| 1975 | Pacifica Singers, Musica Pacifica | Paul Vorwerk | LP: Musica Pacifica PCFM 1002 | LP format only. Period instruments. |
| 1976 | Early Music Consort of London, King's College Choir, Cambridge | Philip Ledger | LP: EMI ASD3256/7 CD (1995): EMI 7243 5 68632/3 (reissued) | Based on an edition by Denis Arnold. Period instruments. |
| 1976 | Chapel Choirs of Musics Montserrat, Collegium Aureum | Irenu Segarra | LP: Harmonia Mundi 1C 165-99 681-82 | LP format only. Period instruments. |
| 1980 | Aachen Cathedral Choir and Orchestra | Rudolf Pohl | LP:Interdisc ID602 | LP format only. |
| 1980 | Pro Cantione Antiqua, Hannover Boys' Choir, Collegium Aureum, Musica Fiat | Heinz Hennig | LP: Interdisc ID603 CD (1991): Ars Musici AM1000-2 (reissued) | Period instruments. |
| 1981 | Les Petits Chanteurs de Chaillot, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Vocal Ensemble Roger Thirot, Choir School Notre Dame, Les Sacquboutiers de Toulouse | Jean-Claude Malgoire | LP: CBS Masterworks D2 36943 CD (2012): Sony G0100027508299 | Period instruments |
| 1983 | Vocal Ensemble of Lausanne, Schola des Petits Chanteurs de Notre Dame de Sion, Ensemble of Ancient Instruments | Michel Corboz | LP: Erato NUM75030/1 CD (1983): Erato ECD 2292-45183-2 (reissued) | Period instruments. |
| 1983 | The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, Baroque Orchestra, NY Cornet and Sacbut Ensemble | Jameson Marvin | LP: Titanic 120/121 | LP format only. Period instruments. |
| 1984 | Taverner Consort and Players | Andrew Parrott | EMI CDC 7 47078/9 (reissued) | Period instruments |
| 1986 | Tölz Boys' Choir, Vienna Hofburgkapelle Schola [de], Vienna Concertus | Nikolaus Harnoncourt | WCJ 2564 69464-8 (reissued) | Period instruments |
| 1986 | La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale Gent and Les Saqueboutiers de Toulouse | Philippe Herreweghe | Harmonia Mundi HMX290 1247-8 (reissued) | Period instruments |
| 1988 | The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra | Harry Christophers | Hyperion 66311/2 (reissued) | Period instruments. Recast as Vespers of St Barbara, with text and musical arrangements |
| 1989 | La Capella Reial, Coro del Centro Musica Antica di Padova | Jordi Savall | Auvidis Astrée E8719 (reissued) | Period instruments |
| 1989 | Musica Fiata Köln, Stuttgart Chamber Choir, Choralschola Niederalteich | Frieder Bernius | DHM RD77760 (reissued) | Period instruments |
| 1989 | New London Consort | Philip Pickett | L'Oiseau-Lyre 425 823-2OH2 (reissued) | |
| 1989 | The Monteverdi Choir, The London Oratory Junior Choir, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, The English Baroque Soloists | John Eliot Gardiner | Archiv 429 565-2AH2 (reissued) | Second recording by Gardiner |
| 1993 | The Scholars Baroque Ensemble | | Naxos 8 550662/3 | |
| 1994 | Cantus Cölln, Concerto Palatino | Konrad Junghänel | Deutsche HM G01100009381079 (reissued) | |
| 1995 | Vokalensemble Frankfurt, Instumentalensemble "Il basso" | Ralf Otto | Capriccio C10516 | |
| 1996 | Netherland Chamber Choir, Concerto Vocale | René Jacobs | : Harmonia Mundi HMC90 1566/7 | Period instruments |
| 1996 | London Bach Orchestra, London Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble | Louis Halsey | BBC Records 156569187-7 | Period instruments. Recorded 25 May 1970. |
| 1996 | Dresden Chamber Choir, Early Music Consort of Dresden, Wind Collegium of Leipzig | Hans-Christoph Rademann | Raumklang 9605 | Period instruments. Based on Wolters edition |
| 1997 | Boston Baroque Orchestra | Martin Pearlman | Telarc 2CD80453 | |
| 1997 | Les Arts Florissants Orchestra and Chorus, Les Sacqueboutiers de Toulouse | William Christie | Erato 3984 23139-2 (reissued) | |
| 1998 | Coro della Radio Svizzera, Ensemble More Antiquo, Concerto Palatino, I Barocchisti | Diego Fasolis | Arts 47594-9 | |
| 1999 | Verso Chorus, Madrigalia Choir, Elyma Ensemble | Gabriel Garrido | K617 K617 100 (reissued) | |
| 1999 | Bach Collegium Japan, Concerto Palatino | Masaaki Suzuki | BIS BIS-CD1071/2 (reissued) | |
| 1999 | Zagreb Radio Choir, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra | Lovro von Matačić | Living Stage LS1035 | Live recording 5 June 1974 |
| 2002 | Tragicomedia, Concerto Palatino | Stephen Stubbs | ATMA Classique ACD22304/5 | |
| 2004 | Concerto Italiano | Rinaldo Alessandrini | Naïve OP30403 (reissued) | |
| 2004 | Yorkshire Bach Choir | Peter Seymour | Cloister CLOCD0304 | |
| 2005 | Gabrieli Consort and Players | Paul McCreesh | Archiv 477 6147AH2 (reissued) | |
| 2006 | The King's Consort Choir and Orchestra | Robert King | Hyperion CDA67531/2 | |
| 2007 | New York's Grande Bande | Frederick Renz | Musical Heritage Society 523536W | Period instruments |
| 2007 | Southern Sinfonia, Rodolfus Choir, The English Cornet & Sackbut Ensemble | Ralph Allwood | Signum SIGCD109 | Period instruments |
| 2007 | La Petite Bande | Sigiswald Kuijken | Challenge Classics CC72311 | |
| 2008 | Soloists, chorus and orchestra (unspecified) | Eugen Jochum | Andromeda ANDRCD9031 | Live recording 6 September 1957 |
| 2010 | Ensemble Concerto, Ensemble la Pifarescha, Concerto Palatino | Roberto Gini | Dynamic CDS656/1-3 | |
| 2010 | New College Choir Oxford, Charivari Agréable | Edward Higginbottom | novum NCR1382 | |
| 2010 | Apollo's Fire | Jeannette Sorrell | Avie AV2206 | |
| 2011 | Choir and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment | Robert Howarth | Signum SIGCD237 | |
| 2011 | L'Arpeggiata | Christina Pluhar | Erato 6419942 | |
| 2011 | Musica Fiata | Roland Wilson | Pan Classics PC10240 | |
| 2012 | Concerto Palatino, Himlische Cantorey, Hanover Boys Choir, Vox Werdensis, Musica Alta Ripa | Jörg Breiding | Rondeau ROP7012-13 | |
| 2013 | Western Michigan University Chorale, Seraphic Fire | Patrick Dupré Quigley | Seraphic Fire Media SFMCD06 | |
| 2014 | Choeur de Chambre de Namur, Cappella Mediterranea | Leonardo García Alarcón | Ambronay AMY041 | |
| 2014 | The Sixteen | Harry Christophers | Coro 16126 | Second recording by The Sixteen |
| 2014 | amarcord, Lautten Compagney | Wolfgang Katschner | Carus CARUS83394 | |
| 2016 | Ensemble San Felice, La Pifaresca period brass ensemble | Federico Bardazzi | Brilliant Classics 95188BR | |
| 2017 | Dunedin Consort, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts | John Butt | Linn CKD569 | |
| 2017 | Cantar Lontano | Marco Mencoboni | Pan Classics PC10371 | |
| 2017 | La Compagnia del Madrigale, Cantica Symphonia, La Pifarescha | Giuseppe Maletto | Glossa GCD922807 | |
| 2018 | Collegium Vocale Gent | Philippe Herreweghe | Phi | Second recording by Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Gent |
| 2019 | La Tempête | Simon-Pierre Bestion | Alpha 552 | |
| 2023 | Pygmalion | Raphaël Pichon | Harmonia Mundi 902710.11 | |