Monteverdi Vespers for the Blessed Virgin
Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610) SV 206 in 14 sections,
Dedicated to Pope Paul V (1552-1621)
Music by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Premiere: Mantua, Basilica Palatina Santa Barbara, 25 march 1610
First part: World premiere of
World premiere of Venezianischer Morgen by Bruno Mantovani (b. 1974), commissioned by Opéra de Monte-Carlo
In coproduction with the Salzburg Whitsun Festival and Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo
The Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, destined for an evening service on one of the great holidays of the Holy Mother of God, belong to Claudio Monteverdi’s absolute masterworks. The Vespers have puzzled musicologists because of their heterogeneous form: some see them as a collection of loosely connected sacred chants, others think of them as a newly invented and self-contained opus. Others surmise that Monteverdi purposely demonstrated his versatility because he was looking for a new employment in Rome at the time and might have submitted them as his job application.
No Monteverdi performance sounds like the other. So much of the score has to be imagined by the musicians playing it, beginning with the actual choice of instruments and ending with how to read endless details in the score. Gianluca Capuano is currently one of the great experts in this field, however, and the interpretation he offers us with Les Musiciens du Prince will be a premiere in this sense. But this concert will also contain another rather sensational first – a world premiere by Bruno Mantovani, who is well-known in Monaco’s cultural scene.
Les Musiciens Du Prince - Monaco
In Monaco, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries, the musical life there was closely associated with Italian musicians and with St Nicolas Church, the ancestor of the present Cathedral. What are your thoughts on the idea that one of the masterpieces of that period, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, will be resounding in this holy place that is specifically consecrated to her?
Indeed, the first preserved mentions of musicians in Monaco are associated with the parish life of St Nicolas Church during the 16th and 17th centuries. These high-quality events, both artistic and spiritual, are like the historical foundation stones of all the events to come. I am personally very moved to see that even today Monaco Cathedral is perpetuating this vocation in the exact same place where so many wonderful works were performed. It is significant that our programme is proposing Monteverdi’s Vespro della beata Vergine. Since the beginning of the 20th century and the inauguration of the Cathedral, now dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Mary watches in a very special way over the Rock and our Principality. Furthermore, on December 8th each year, the people of Monaco take great joy in expressing their gratitude and trust in her.
Do you believe that a musical work performed in this holy place acquires a different dimension?
Yes, insofar as it encounters there its natural performance space. The intention of composers of sacred music consisted essentially of serving the Church’s most important moments of prayer, for mass celebrations as well as the liturgy of the hours (such as vespers).
Like many holy places, our Cathedral is not a performance hall, but a place whose purpose is to elevate the soul and provide openings to spiritual life. It is rich in the prayers and hope of all those who went before and those who continue to come together every day.
What is the role of singing (and music) in the Catholic liturgy? Does it provide assistance during your church services?
Whatever the liturgical traditions are, singing and music have always held a vital place in the Church celebrations, not as an ensemble of decorative elements brought in from outside. Rather, they make it possible to enter into the spiritual profoundness of the words that are expressed and the acts that are accomplished. Liturgical music is full of meaning when it opens the ears and heart of the listener, thereby opening God’s path to man, and man’s path to God.