Monteverdi Vespers of 1610

Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, SV 206

Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir
His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts
Marios Papadopoulos conductor

Not many works change the course of musical history, but Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 did. This masterpiece straddled the fault-lines separating the austerity of the Renaissance and the dramatic theatricality of the Baroque. It is a grand collection of psalms, motets and sinfonias that can feel as emotional as opera and as eternal as plainsong, while drawing extensively on both. Positioning groups of voices and instruments around its performance space, Monteverdi’s piece provides an immersive musical experience and also a rare one, given its treacherous technical and interpretative challenges. In the galleries of the Sheldonian Theatre, and then in the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, Marios Papadopoulos marshals this most majestic and timeless of sacred works.

The performance at the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore is part of the XXV Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra organised by the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra.

Pre-concert talk by Sir Nicholas Kenyon at 18:30
Italy in Oxford

Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 has been one of the rediscoveries of our age, a landmark of the past. Nicholas Kenyon introduces this feast of baroque music.

The Sheldonian Theatre is a unique space to experience live music. To see an interactive map of the theatre click here.