On March 5, 1964, the Monteverdi Choir performed its first concert—-Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine-—and went on to revolutionize the way we hear vocal music today. Renowned for their interpretation of the Baroque repertoire, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists celebrate the Monteverdi Choir’s 50th Anniversary with a two-night residency, performing works by 17th-century composer Claudio Monteverdi.

One of the towering masterpieces of the Baroque period, Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine was a pioneering work for its time, integrating secular musical ideas into religious music. The complexities of this monumental choral masterpiece showcase the Monteverdi Choir’s prodigious mastery, with some movements in the work requiring coverage of ten vocal parts.

Artists
English Baroque Soloists
The Monteverdi Choir
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Program
MONTEVERDI: Vespro della Beata Vergine

Pre-Concert Lecture
Pre-concert lecture by Dr. Burton Karson, 7pm