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Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 (SV
Stattkus-Verzeichnis

The Stattkus-Verzeichnis is a catalogue of the musical compositions of the Italian Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi. The catalogue was published in 1985 by Manfred H....
 206 and 206a, Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, 1610), or simply the Vespers of 1610, as it is commonly called, is a musical composition by Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi

Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi , was an Italian composer, viol, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the music of the Renaissance music to that of the Baroque music....
. Vespers
Vespers

Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican, and Lutheran Liturgy of the canonical hours....
 is a term taken from the Hours of the Divine Office and has remained structurally unchanged for the past 1500 years. The Vespers are built around several Biblical
Bible

The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
 texts that are traditionally used as part of the liturgy
Liturgy

A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to their particular traditions. The word may refer to an elaborate formal ritual such as the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Mass , or a daily activity such as the Muslim salat and Jewish Jewish services....
 for several Marian
Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin or The Virgin Mary, is a traditional title used by most Christians and most specifically used by liturgical Christians such as Roman Catholics, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to describe Mary, mother of Jesus, the mother of...
 feasts in the Roman Catholic church; the introductory Deus in adjutorium (Psalm 69), five psalms taken from Psalms 109-147, sacred concertos between the psalms, a hymn, a setting of the Magnificat text, and the concluding Benedicamus Domino.

History and context
Monteverdi’s Marian Vespers of 1610, his first sacred work since his very first publication twenty-eight years prior, stands out for its assimilation of both old and new styles, although these contrasting styles cannot be exactly classified as prima pratica
Prima pratica

Prima pratica, literally "first practice", refers to early Baroque music which looks more to the style of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, or the style codified by Gioseffo Zarlino, than to more "modern" styles....
 and seconda pratica, per se.






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Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 (SV
Stattkus-Verzeichnis

The Stattkus-Verzeichnis is a catalogue of the musical compositions of the Italian Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi. The catalogue was published in 1985 by Manfred H....
 206 and 206a, Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, 1610), or simply the Vespers of 1610, as it is commonly called, is a musical composition by Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi

Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi , was an Italian composer, viol, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the music of the Renaissance music to that of the Baroque music....
. Vespers
Vespers

Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican, and Lutheran Liturgy of the canonical hours....
 is a term taken from the Hours of the Divine Office and has remained structurally unchanged for the past 1500 years. The Vespers are built around several Biblical
Bible

The Bible is the central religious text of Judaism and Christianity. The exact Books of the Bible is dependent on the religious traditions of specific denominations....
 texts that are traditionally used as part of the liturgy
Liturgy

A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to their particular traditions. The word may refer to an elaborate formal ritual such as the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Mass , or a daily activity such as the Muslim salat and Jewish Jewish services....
 for several Marian
Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin or The Virgin Mary, is a traditional title used by most Christians and most specifically used by liturgical Christians such as Roman Catholics, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to describe Mary, mother of Jesus, the mother of...
 feasts in the Roman Catholic church; the introductory Deus in adjutorium (Psalm 69), five psalms taken from Psalms 109-147, sacred concertos between the psalms, a hymn, a setting of the Magnificat text, and the concluding Benedicamus Domino.

History and context


Monteverdi’s Marian Vespers of 1610, his first sacred work since his very first publication twenty-eight years prior, stands out for its assimilation of both old and new styles, although these contrasting styles cannot be exactly classified as prima pratica
Prima pratica

Prima pratica, literally "first practice", refers to early Baroque music which looks more to the style of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, or the style codified by Gioseffo Zarlino, than to more "modern" styles....
 and seconda pratica, per se. The Vespers were published in July of 1610, in combination with a six-voice mass that parodies a motet of Nicolas Gombert
Nicolas Gombert

Nicolas Gombert was a Franco-Flemish School composer of the Renaissance. He was one of the most famous and influential composers between Josquin Desprez and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and best represents the fully-developed, complex polyphony style of this period in music history....
, In illo tempore loquante Jesu. Nearly four hundred years after its completion, the precise intentions of this large work are not clearly known or understood. This has been a great topic of debate among musicologists for decades, and it has even been suggested by Graham Dixon that Monteverdi’s setting of the Vespers is more suited towards use for the feast of Saint Barbara
Saint Barbara

Saint Barbara, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara , was a Christianity saint and martyr. Although there is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings, nor in the original recension of Saint Jerome's martyrology, veneration of her was common from the seventh century....
, claiming, for example, that the texts taken from Song of Songs are applicable to any female saint. He goes on to write that formatting the Vespers to fit a Marian feast makes the work more "marketable". There are several facts that support this view: There are just two Marian songs in the whole Vespers; Audi Coelum and Ave Maris Stella, (the sonata could very easily be rearranged to any saint's name) and the text of the Duo Seraphim is connected with Saint Barbara (because she is generally connected with Trinity).

The Vespers was first printed in Venice
Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital city of the Italian regions Veneto, a population of 271,251 . Together with Padua, Italy, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area ....
, Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
, in 1610 when the composer was working at the ducal court in Mantua
Mantua

Mantua is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the Province of Mantua of the same name.Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes created during the 12th century....
, Italy. The historical record does not indicate whether Monteverdi actually performed the Vespers either in Mantua or Venice; the work may have been written as an audition piece for posts at Venice (Monteverdi became maestro di cappella at St Mark's Basilica
St Mark's Basilica

Saint Mark's Basilica , the cathedral of Venice, is the most famous of the city's Church and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture....
 in Venice in 1613) and Rome
Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with 2,724,347 residents in an urban area of some ....
 (where the composer was not offered a post).

The Vespers is a monumental work of music, calling for a choir large enough and skilful enough to cover up to 10 vocal parts in some movements and split into separate choirs in others while accompanying seven different soloists during the course of the piece. Interestingly, solo parts are included for violin
Violin

The violin is a Bow string instrument with four strings usually tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello....
 and cornetto
Cornetto

Cornetto may refer to* Cornett, a Renaissance period musical wind instrument* Cornetto , a branded frozen ice cream cone* Croissant Italian word for Croissant, typically to be consumed with Cappuccino....
, but the ripieno
Ripieno

Ripieno or tutti can refer to:*the larger of the two ensembles in the concerto grosso. This is opposed to the concertino which are the soloists....
 instrumentation is not specified by Monterverdi. Additionally, Monteverdi did not specify a specific set of plainchant antiphon
Antiphon

An antiphon is a response, usually sung in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or some other part of a religious service, such as at Vespers or at a mass ....
s to insert before each psalm and the concluding Magnificat
Magnificat

The Magnificat is a canticle frequently sung liturgy in Christian church services. The text of the canticle is taken directly from the Gospel of Luke where it is spoken by the Virgin Mary upon the occasion of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth....
. This allows the performers to tailor the music according to the available instrumental forces and the occasion of the performance (the particular feast day's liturgy would have included suggested antiphons that could be chanted before Monterverdi's psalm settings).

Monterverdi's unique approach to each movement of the Vespers earned the work a place in history. The work not only presents intimate, prayerful moments within its monumental scale, but it also incorporates secular music in this decidedly religious performance and its individual movements present an array of musical forms - sonata
Sonata form

Sonata form is a musical form that has been used widely since the early Classical music era. While it is typically used in the first Movement of multimovement pieces, it is sometimes employed in subsequent movements as well....
, motet
Motet

In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choir musical compositions.The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is "motectum", and the Italian mottetto was also used....
, hymn
Hymn

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities, a prominent figure or an epic tale....
, and psalm - without losing focus. The Vespers achieves overall unity by building each movement on the traditional Gregorian
Gregorian chant

Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, a form of monophony liturgy chant in Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services....
 plainchant for each text, which becomes a cantus firmus
Cantus firmus

In music, a cantus firmus is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphony composition .The plural of this Latin term is , though one occasionally sees the corrupt form canti firmi....
 in Monteverdi's setting.

Structure of the Work


  • Versicle & Response: Deus in adjutorium meum intende- Domine ad adjuvandum me festina
    • This opening movement makes use of musical elements from the introduction to Monteverdi's Orfeo
      Orfeo

      L'Orfeo is one of the earliest works recognized as an opera, composed by Claudio Monteverdi with text by Alessandro Striggio for the annual carnival of Mantua....
       (1607)
  • Psalm: Dixit Dominus (Psalm 109): six voice choir and six instruments
  • Motet: Nigra sum (from Song of Solomon): solo tenor
    Tenor

    The tenor is a type of male voice type and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between the C one octave below middle C to the A above in choral music, and up to high C in solo work....
     with choir
  • Psalm: Laudate pueri (Psalm 112): eight voice choir and organ
    Organ (music)

    The organ is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard played either Manual or Pedal clavier. The organ is one of the oldest musical instruments in the European classical music....
  • Motet: Pulchra es (from Song of Solomon): vocal duet
  • Psalm: Laetatus sum (Psalm 121): five voice choir
  • Motet: Duo Seraphim: vocal duet leading into trio
    • The text Duo Seraphim ("Two angels were calling one to the other...") begins as a duet. When the text mentions the Trinity, a third tenor joins. All three sing in unison at the words, "these three are one."
  • Psalm: Nisi Dominus (Psalm 126): ten voice choir
  • Motet: Audi coelum: two tenor soloists singing call and response ("prima ad una voce sola")
  • Psalm: Lauda Jerusalem (Psalm 147): two choirs of three voices plus tenor cantus firmus
  • Sonata sopra "Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis": sopranos and instruments
  • Hymn: Ave maris stella: two choirs and soloists
  • Magnificat
    Magnificat

    The Magnificat is a canticle frequently sung liturgy in Christian church services. The text of the canticle is taken directly from the Gospel of Luke where it is spoken by the Virgin Mary upon the occasion of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth....


Position of the motets


The position of the motets Nigra Sum, Pulchra es, Duo Seraphim and Audi Coelum is disputed. The title page of the first print of the score suggests that they are not part of the Vespers, but intended as separate Sacred Concertos. However, their place in between the psalms indicates that they were intended to be part of the Vespers, but could also be performed on other occasions, such as at the court of the Duke of Mantua, Monteverdi's employer.

Media


  • from Vespro della Beata Vergine as interactive hypermedia at the


Recordings


  • Andrew Parrott
    Andrew Parrott

    Andrew Parrott is a United Kingdom conductor, perhaps best known for his pioneering Authentic performance of pre-classical music. He conducts a wide range of repertoire, including Contemporary classical music....
     conducting, Taverner Consort, Choir & Players. Virgin Classics — 5616622 (1984)
  • Philippe Herreweghe
    Philippe Herreweghe

    Philippe Herreweghe is a Belgium Conducting.In his school years at the University of Ghent, Herreweghe combined studies in medical science and psychiatry with a musical education at the Ghent Conservatory, where Marcel Gazelle, Yehudi Menuhin's accompanist, was his piano teacher....
     conducting La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale and Les Saqueboutiers de Toulouse, HMC 901247.48 (1987)
  • Jordi Savall
    Jordi Savall

    Jordi Savall i Bernadet is a Spain-Catalonia viol player, Conducting, and composer. He has been one of the major figures in the field of early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for bringing the viol back to life on the stage....
     conducting, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Coro del Centro di Musica Antica Padova. Astree E 8719 (1989)
  • John Eliot Gardiner
    John Eliot Gardiner

    Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE Fellowship of King's College London is an England conducting. He founded the Monteverdi Choir , the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre R?volutionnaire et Romantique ....
     conducting, English Baroque Soloists, His Majesties Sagbutts and Cornetts, Monteverdi Choir, London Oratory Junior Choir, Ann Monoyios, Marinella Pennicchi, Michael Chance, Nigel Robson, Mark Tucker, Sandro Naglia, Bryn Terfel
    Bryn Terfel

    Bryn Terfel Jones Order of the British Empire is a Wales bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but he has expanded his repertoire to include heavier roles, especially those by Richard Wagner....
    , Alastair Miles. Polygram Records — #429565 (1990)
  • John Eliot Gardiner
    John Eliot Gardiner

    Sir John Eliot Gardiner CBE Fellowship of King's College London is an England conducting. He founded the Monteverdi Choir , the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre R?volutionnaire et Romantique ....
     conducting, The Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra, Salisbury Cathedral Boys' Choir, Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, David Munrow Recorder Ensemble, Jill Gomez, Felicity Palmer, James Bowman, Robert Tear, Philip Langridge, John Shirley-Quirk, Michael Rippon. Decca Record (1972, 1994)
  • René Jacobs
    René Jacobs

    Ren? Jacobs is a Belgium musician. He came to fame as a countertenor but in recent years has become renowned as a conducting of Baroque and early Classical opera....
     conducting, Concerto Vocale, Nederlands Kamerkoor, María Cristina Kiehr
    Maria Cristina Kiehr

    Mar?a Cristina Kiehr is a soprano vocalist associated with Baroque music. After receiving her early musical training in Argentina, she moved in 1983 to Europe and studied under Ren? Jacobs at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, specializing in the Baroque repertoire....
    , Barbara Borden, Andreas Scholl
    Andreas Scholl

    Andreas Scholl is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range. He specialises in Baroque music. His range is the same as that of the celebrated 18th century alto castrato, Senesino, for whom George Frideric Handel wrote his greatest alto roles....
    , John Bowen, Andrew Murgatroyd, Víctor Torres, Antonio Abete, Jelle Draijer. Harmonia mundi France — 901566.67 (1996).
  • Gabriel Garrido conducting, Ensemble Elyma, Coro Madrigalia, Les Sacqueboutiers de Toulouse. K617 (1999)
  • Konrad Junghänel
    Konrad Junghänel

    Konrad Jungh?nel is a German Conducting and lutenist. He has given numerous solo concerts all around the world and has also worked with ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants and others....
     conducting, Cantus Cölln. Harmonia mundi France HMC 801813.14
  • Philip Ledger conducting, King's College Choir, Early Music Consort of London. ANGEL SB-3837
  • Hans-Christoph Rademann conducting, Ensemble "Alte Musik Dresden", Bläser Collegium Leipzig, Dresdner Kammerchor, Nele Gramß, Johanna Koslowski, Markus Brutscher, Wilfried Jochens, Martin Krumbiegel, Egbert Junghanns, Stephan Schreckenberger. RAUMKLANG RK 9605 (live recording).
  • Paul McCreesh
    Paul McCreesh

    Paul McCreesh is an English Conducting.Paul McCreesh is founder and artistic director of the Gabrieli Consort & Players, with whom he has established himself at the highest level in the period instrument field; he is recognised for his authoritative and innovative performances on the concert platform and the opera house....
     conducting Gabrieli Consort and Players, Charles Daniels, Joseph Cornwell, Peter Harvey, Susan Hemington Jones CD 477 6147
  • Robert King conducting; The King's Consort, The Choir of the King's Consort; Carolyn Sampson, Rebecca Outram (Soprano); Daniel Auchincloss, Nicholas Mulroy (High Tenor); Charles Daniels, James Gilchrist (Tenor); Peter Harvey, Robert Evans, Robert MacDonald (Bass); Hyperion CDA67531/2
  • Choeur des XVI, Direction André Ducret, Sonatori della Gioisa Marca (Treviso) Theatrum instrumentorum (Milano) Magali Dami, soprano Natacha Ducret, soprano Rufus Müller, ténor Paolo Vignoli, ténor Jean-Baptiste Dumora, baryton Daniele Carnovich, basse (http://www.xvi.ch/disc_vespro_monterverdi.htm)


External links


  • – website devoted to Vespers