Monteverdi Vespers 1610
Sunday 20th November 2022, 6.30-8.30pm
Holy Cross Church Fulham, Ashington Road, SW6 3QA
Monteverdi’s 'Vespers of the Blessed Virgin’ first published in 1610 has become one of the cornerstones of the classical repertoire and a towering masterpiece of the early Baroque. Its magnificent music holds an immediate appeal and speaks to us directly and powerfully across the four centuries since it was created. However Monteverdi himself may not have expected to hear the Vespers sung as a complete work. Indeed there is little evidence that any of its music was actually performed during his lifetime.
Monteverdi produced the Vespers while he was choirmaster to the Duke of Mantua in northern Italy and was intended for use by the choirmasters of those great churches like St Mark’s in Venice or St Peter’s in Rome, which had a permanent staff of expert singers and could call upon instrumental forces.
The 1610 Vespers contained all the music needed for the services of a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary
including not only Vesper Psalms, motets and Magnificat settings but also a Mass for 6 voices.
Monteverdi’s Psalm settings take as their basis a simple technique: each verse of the Psalm is sung to the same plainsong and phrased round it the composer wraps a web of polyphony, bringing an extraordinary range of invention to this technique
Although Monteverdi did not obtain employment in Rome, as he may have hoped, the 1610 publication stood him in good stead when in 1613 he applied for the post of choirmaster of St Mark’s, Venice. The report on his audition mentions the 'quality and virtue of his works which are found in print’ even before expressing satisfaction with his performance. Monteverdi indeed won the post of maestro di cappella at San Marco in Venice and we can be reasonably certain that this remarkable sacred work played a role in his engagement.
Harry Castle Musical Director
Tickets £15 + 60p booking fee
Student £10 and concessions + 60p booking fee
Also available on the door
Sunday 20th November 2022, 6.30-8.30pm
Holy Cross Church Fulham, Ashington Road, SW6 3QA
Monteverdi’s 'Vespers of the Blessed Virgin’ first published in 1610 has become one of the cornerstones of the classical repertoire and a towering masterpiece of the early Baroque. Its magnificent music holds an immediate appeal and speaks to us directly and powerfully across the four centuries since it was created. However Monteverdi himself may not have expected to hear the Vespers sung as a complete work. Indeed there is little evidence that any of its music was actually performed during his lifetime.
Monteverdi produced the Vespers while he was choirmaster to the Duke of Mantua in northern Italy and was intended for use by the choirmasters of those great churches like St Mark’s in Venice or St Peter’s in Rome, which had a permanent staff of expert singers and could call upon instrumental forces.
The 1610 Vespers contained all the music needed for the services of a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary
including not only Vesper Psalms, motets and Magnificat settings but also a Mass for 6 voices.
Monteverdi’s Psalm settings take as their basis a simple technique: each verse of the Psalm is sung to the same plainsong and phrased round it the composer wraps a web of polyphony, bringing an extraordinary range of invention to this technique
Although Monteverdi did not obtain employment in Rome, as he may have hoped, the 1610 publication stood him in good stead when in 1613 he applied for the post of choirmaster of St Mark’s, Venice. The report on his audition mentions the 'quality and virtue of his works which are found in print’ even before expressing satisfaction with his performance. Monteverdi indeed won the post of maestro di cappella at San Marco in Venice and we can be reasonably certain that this remarkable sacred work played a role in his engagement.
Harry Castle Musical Director
Tickets £15 + 60p booking fee
Student £10 and concessions + 60p booking fee
Also available on the door
Forthcoming Concerts
Monteverdi Vespers, Sunday 20th November, Holy Cross Church Fulham
Join us for 'one of the cornerstones of the classical repertoire and a towering masterpiece of the early Baroque'. Tickets available above.
Christmas Charity Concert, Sunday 11th December, Holy Cross Church Fulham
Our yearly Christmas concert, including Vaughan Williams Fantasia
Monteverdi Vespers, Sunday 20th November, Holy Cross Church Fulham
Join us for 'one of the cornerstones of the classical repertoire and a towering masterpiece of the early Baroque'. Tickets available above.
Christmas Charity Concert, Sunday 11th December, Holy Cross Church Fulham
Our yearly Christmas concert, including Vaughan Williams Fantasia