Monteverdi's "Vespers of the Virgin Mary
"So that these holy harmonies, illuminated by your outstanding and almost divine splendour, may shine forth, and so that the highest blessing due to him may make the tiny hill of my genius greener day by day [Monteverdi = green mountain] and the mouths of those who speak unjustly of Claudio may close ['claudantur ora in Claudium'; Lat. claudere = to close], I present and offer, stretched out at your most holy feet, these my labours of sleepless nights of whatever kind." With these words, Claudio Monteverdi dedicated his Vespro della Beata Vergine ("Vespers of the Virgin"), printed in 1610, to none other than Pope Paul V. In this work, the composer spread out the almost inexhaustible palette of his art almost like a textbook, from the delicate imitative polyphony and strict counterpoint of the so-called "Prima pratica" to the expressive style of the "Seconda pratica" based on a basso continuo accompaniment. Under the direction of its founder Lionel Meunier, the Belgian vocal ensemble, internationally acclaimed not least for its interpretations of Monteverdi's music, lets this groundbreaking masterpiece be heard in honour of St Mary in the monumental space of St Mary's Cathedral.
Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
Vespro della Beata Vergine ("Vespers of the Virgin Mary"), SV 206 (1610)
Zsuzsi Tóth | Soprano
Erika Tandiono | Soprano
Raffaele Giordani | Tenor
Jacob Lawrence | Tenor
Massimo Lombardi | Tenor
João Moreira | Tenor
Vox Luminis
Lionel Meunier | Director