The music at St Mark’s‚ Venice in the early 17th century yields seemingly inexhaustible riches‚ upon which this attractive programme capitilises admirably. For the most part the music recorded here is not new to the catalogue‚ but comparison with older recordings certainly vindicates Hengelbrock’s decision to commit new accounts to disc. His musicians are very lively in the large­scale festive works (the psalm settings by Monteverdi and his successor Cavalli‚ and in the latter’s Magnificat); livelier‚ more assertive in fact than some: Andrew Parrott’s reading of the ‘Dixit Dominus II’ (EMI‚ 3/85 – nla) is more solid and imposing‚ but also less dynamic. The same might be said of Concerto Palatino’s recording of the Cavalli pieces (on Harmonia Mundi‚ 5/96). Hengelbrock makes greater demands of his soloist‚ and takes greater risks. But the full choral scoring in Gabrieli’s Deus‚ Deus meus yields some uncomfortably high vocal parts. Perhaps a lower tessitura‚ or solo instrumentalists‚ would have been preferable. On this point it is worth saying‚ though‚ that the ensemble transcends the considerable contributions of individuals. The rapt‚ meditative selections are given suitably expressive readings: these are the recital’s flip­side‚ best illustrated with Grandi’s Plorabo die ac nocte‚ which graphically illustrates just how theatrical such pieces can be. It is one of the disc’s high points‚ but then one has difficulty singling out individual pieces and performances for praise in such a well­balanced and varied programme as this. It is a good place to begin exploring this repertory‚ and a worthy addition to the library of those who require no introduction. The instrumentalists are equally strong and solid‚ but overall the brass fare better than the strings (the violin’s tone is rather brittle in places). The latter are also an issue in the continuo section‚ where some may query the use of viola da gamba and cello alongside organ or theorbo. Certainly they do not appear in the other recordings I have cited‚ and comparison suggests that their persistent use ballasts the consort unnecessarily‚ especially in the vocal pieces.