"utterly gripping in its mixture of eroticism and violence"  - The Guardian
                                                            "the very embodiment of sprezzatura" - Early Music Today
                                            "technically superb, but in a highly expressive way" - Robert Hugill

What we do 

The Monteverdi String Band is dedicated to celebrating the sound and style of the early violin consort, in both well-established repertoire and innovative new programmes. Our instruments are carefully chosen: they are modelled on originals from the early decades of the 17th century, rather than the 18th century, when developments which led the violin away from its origins as a consort instrument transformed its sound into something perhaps more brilliant but less rich and grounded. We relish the sound of pure gut strings in equal tension; this and the use of matching instruments brings a unique sound to the ensemble: as a recent critic wrote, “The MSB’s sound is quite unlike any that of any other ensemble I know that plays this music”.

We enjoy working with other like-minded ensembles in repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to Lully and Biber, with the occasional foray into the 18th century.

The challenge of creating new programmes is one we find richly rewarding and for which we are delighted to have earned a reputation. This began with The Madrigal Transformed, in which we interleave “modern” (17th century!) and ancient (16th century) madrigals with contemporary readings; other productions include Monteverdi's Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, and Galileo, our first collaboration with playwright Clare Norburn, which premiered at BREMF in 2016.

Highlights of recent years have been our first performance of Bach's B minor mass and a new incarnation of The Madrigal Transformed at the Korkyra Baroque Festival in Croatia, as well as a Biber extravaganza and more Vespers performances in the autumn; in January 2020 we were thrilled to revisit Galileo for Baroque at the Edge. 

The pandemic in 2020 has forced several postponements, but also allowed us to develop some new programmes for 2021 (watch this space for an exciting collaboration with the wonderful soprano Hannah Ely), as well as initiate our Monteverdi String Band in focus series: see the Featured Event panel for more details.

 


Steven Devine and Oliver Webber, Con Arte e Maestria, January 2021

– LIVE PERFORMANCES! –
The Madrigal Reimagined 
with guest artists Hannah Ely (soprano) and Toby Carr (lute, theorbo)

BREMF Midsummer Festival: 3rd July 2021
York Early Music Festival: 12th July 2021

​We are delighted to welcome live audiences back this summer with a new programme celebrating the blossoming of the madrigal: we offer diverse settings from solo voice and lute to a full string band, with or without voice, in which we explore every facet of the madrigal’s transformative journey from gentle part song to one of the dramatic cornerstones of opera.










Johann Nauwach: Cruda Amarilli, Dresden, 1623




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Con Arte e Maestria: Ciaccona, by Oliver Webber (excerpt), performed by Oliver Webber and Steven Devine, January 2021

Monteverdi String Band in focus
- CD RELEASE -
Watch this space for the forthcoming release of Con Arte e Maestria on Resonus Classics
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MSB in focus is a new venture which promotes smaller projects featuring individual members. We start with Con Arte e Maestria, a celebration of the art of virtuoso ornamentation from the time of Monteverdi. 
Musical director Oliver Webber is joined by renowned harpsichordist Steven Devine in a spectacular programme of brilliant ornamentation, including not only surviving examples from the decades around 1600, but also a selection of Oliver's own versions, inspired by the individual styles of Monteverdi's contemporaries.

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