#Monteverdi #baroquemusic #opera
Psalm 110: Dixit Dominus
The origins of Vespers (from the Latin vesper: evening, the most solemn hour of the Divine Office) date back to the earliest days of Christianity.
With his Vespro della beata Vergine, Monteverdi produced one of the first masterpieces of European sacred music. His score is a sum of prayers, both meditative and theatrical, replete with expressions of joy and even the utmost sensuality. The baroque nature of the music is fully present in the highly virtuosic vocal part, which alternates with instrumental passages of incredible depth.
Dixit Dominus: The opening of this psalm is based on the notes of the chant, which underlies much of the music in this movement. Moments of choral declamation on a single chord (falso bordone) and particularly brief instrumental interludes (ritornelli) accentuate the sectional divisions of the movement.
Painting: Saint Paul by Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787)
