Vespro della Beata Vergine

Monteverdi, who was born in Cremona in 1567, was a court musician for the Gonzaga dukes of Mantua from 1590 to 1612. He began as a viol player under Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga[2] and advanced to become maestro della musica in late 1601.[3] He was responsible for the duke's sacred and secular music, in regular church services and soirées on Fridays, and for extraordinary events.[4] While Monteverdi was court musician in Mantua, the opera genre emerged, first as entertainment for nobility, to become public musical theatre later.[5] The first work now considered as an opera is Jacopo Peri's Dafne of 1597. In the new genre, a complete story was told through characters; as well as choruses and ensembles, the vocal parts included recitative, aria, and arioso.[6] Monteverdi's first opera was L'Orfeo which premiered in 1607. The duke was quick to recognise the potential of this new musical form for bringing prestige to those willing to sponsor it.[7]

Monteverdi wrote the movements of the Vespers piece by piece, while responsible for the ducal services which were held at the Santa Croce chapel at the palace.[8] He completed the large-scale work in 1610. He possibly composed the Vespers aspiring to a better position, and the work demonstrates his abilities as a composer in a great variety of styles.[9] The setting was Monteverdi's first published sacred composition after his initial publications nearly thirty years before and stands out for its assimilation of both the old and the new styles.[10]

The basilica of St. Barbara, the ducal palace church at Mantua

The liturgical vespers is an evening prayer service according to the Catholic Officium Divinum (Divine Office). At Monteverdi's time, it was sung in Latin, as were all Catholic services then. A vespers service at the time contained five psalms, a hymn and the Magnificat (Mary's song of praise).[11] The five psalms for Marian feasts (as well as other female saints) begin with Psalm 110 in Hebrew counting, but known to Monteverdi as Psalmus 109 in the numbering of the Vulgate:[12]

The individual psalms and the Magnificat are concluded by the doxology Gloria Patri. The hymn for Marian feasts was "Ave maris stella". Variable elements, changing with the liturgical occasion, are antiphons, inserted before each psalm and the Magnificat, which reflect the specific feast and connect the Old Testament psalms to Christian theology.[13] Vespers are traditionally framed by the opening versicle and response from Psalm 70, and the closing blessing.[14]

On ordinary Sundays, the vespers service might by sung in Gregorian chant, while on high holidays, such as the feast day of a patron saint, elaborate concertante music was preferred. In his Vespers, Monteverdi may have offered such music without necessarily expecting that all of it would be performed in a given service.[15]

Monteverdi deviated from the typical vespers liturgy by adding motets (concerti or sacri concentus) between the psalms. Scholars debate if they were meant to replace antiphons[16] or rather as embellishments of the preceding psalm.[17] Monteverdi also included a Marian litany, "Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis" (Holy Mary, pray for us).[18] All liturgical texts are set using their psalm tones in Gregorian chant, often as a cantus firmus.[19]

Graham Dixon suggests the setting is more suited for the feast of Saint Barbara, claiming, for example, that the texts from the Song of Songs are applicable to any female saint but that a dedication to fit a Marian feast made the work more "marketable".[20] There are just two Marian songs in the whole work ("Audi coelum" and "Ave maris stella"); and the sonata could easily be rearranged to any saint's name.[21]

Title page of the partbook for Cantus (soprano)

The first mention of the work's publication is in a July 1610 letter by Monteverdi's assistant, Bassano Casola, to Cardinal Ferdinando Gonzaga, the duke's younger son. Casola described that two compositions were in the process to be printed, a six-part mass (Messa da Capella)[22] on motifs from Nicolas Gombert's In illo tempore, and psalms for a vespers setting for the Virgin (Salmi del Vespro della Madonna).[22] He described the psalms as "varying and diverse inventions and harmonies over a canto fermo" (cantus firmus),[22] and noted that Monteverdi would travel to Rome to personally dedicate the publication to the Pope in the autumn.[22]

The printing was completed in Venice, then an important centre for music printing.[23] The printing of collections of sacred music in Italy at the period was described as "a fast-growing and very large and lucrative market",[23] with around 50 collections in 1610 alone, 36 of them for offices such as Vespers.[23] The publisher was Ricciardo Amadino,[22] who had published Monteverdi's opera L'Orfeo in 1609. While the opera was published as a score, the Vespers music appeared as a set of partbooks.[24] It was published together with Monteverdi's mass Missa in illo tempore.[22] The cover describes both works: "Sanctissimae Virgini Missa senis vocibus ad ecclesiarum choros, ac Vespere pluribus decantandae cum nonnullis sacris concentibus ad Sacella sive Principum Cubicula accommodata" (Mass for the Most Holy Virgin for six voices for church choirs, and vespers for several voices with some sacred songs, suitable for chapels and ducal chambers).[22]

From the Magnificat, a page from the alto partbook (short score), the voice part left and continuo part right

One of the partbooks contains the basso continuo and provides a kind of short score for the more complicated movements:[24] it gives the title of the Vespers as: "Vespro della Beata Vergine da concerto composta sopra canti firmi" (Vesper for the Blessed Virgin for concertos, composed on cantus firmi).[25]

Monteverdi's notation is still in the style of Renaissance music, for example regarding the duration of notes and the absence of bar lines. There is no score, but a partbook for each voice and instrument. The corresponding continuo notes the beginnings of text lines, for example Magnificat, "Et exultauit", "Quia respexit" and "Quia fecit", and the names of instruments, for example cornetto, trombone and flauto. The initials of a title are embellished, such as the M of Magnificat, and in the voice part, the initials of a cantus firmus line begins with a larger letter, e.g. "E t exultauit ..." and "Q uia respexit ...". Sections where the voice or instrument is silent are marked "Tacet.". The notation poses challenges to editors adopting the current system of notation, which was established about a half-century after Vespers was written.[26]

Monteverdi dedicated the work to Pope Paul V, who had recently visited Mantua,[27] and dated the dedication 1 September 1610.[28] The schedule seems to have resulted in some of the movements being printed in haste[29] and some corrections had to be made. Monteverdi visited Rome, as anticipated, in October 1610 and it is likely that he delivered a copy to the Pope, given that the Papal Library holds an alto partbook.[30] It is not clear whether he was honoured with a papal audience.[3][31] The alto partbook which the Pope received, with hand-written corrections, survived in the Biblioteca Doria Pamphilij.[23]

Monteverdi later wrote further music for vespers services, in the collection Selva morale e spirituale, published in 1641, and in another collection, Messa e Salmi (Mass and Psalms) which was published after his death in 1650. There is no indication that any of his publications of sacred music received a second edition.[23]

After the original print, the next time parts from the Vespers were published was in an 1834 book by Carl von Winterfeld devoted to the music of Giovanni Gabrieli. He chose the beginning of the Dixit Dominus and of the Deposuit from the Magnificat, discussing the variety of styles in detail. Luigi Torchi published the Sonata as the first complete movement from the Vespers at the turn of the 20th century.[32] The first modern edition of the Vespers appeared in 1932 as part of Gian Francesco Malipiero's edition of Monteverdi's complete works. Two years later, Hans F. Redlich published an edition which dropped two psalms, arranged the other movements in different order, and implemented the figured bass in a complicated way.[33] In 1966, Gottfried Wolters edited the first critical edition.[34][35] Critical editions were published by, among others, Clifford Bartlett in 1986,[35] Jerome Roche in 1994,[24] and Uwe Wolf in 2013,[35][36] while Antonio Delfino has edited the Vespers for a complete edition of the composer's works.[35]

The historical record does not indicate whether Monteverdi actually performed the Vespers in Mantua or in Rome, where he was not offered a post.[3][9] He assumed the position of maestro di cappella at the Basilica di San Marco in Venice in 1613 and a performance there seems likely. Church music in Venice is well documented and performers can draw information for historically informed performances from that knowledge, for example that Monteverdi expected a choir of all male voices.[37]

The Vespers is monumental in scale and requires a choir of ten or more vocal parts split into separate choirs, and seven soloists. Solo instrumental parts are written for violin and cornetto. Antiphons preceding each psalm and the Magnificat, sung in plainchant, would vary with the occasion.[38] Some scholars have argued that the Vespers was not intended as a single work but rather as a collection to choose from.[9]

The edition by Hans Redlich was the basis for performances in Zurich in February 1935 and of parts in New York in 1937, followed by Switzerland (mid-1940s), Brussels (1946) and London (on 14 May 1946 at Westminster Central Hall).[39][40] It was printed in 1949 and used for the first recording in 1953.[39] The first recording of the work with added antiphons was conducted in 1966 by Jürgen Jürgens.[41] More recent performances have usually aimed to provide the complete music Monteverdi published.[9]

Vespro della Beata Vergine is made up of 13 sections.[36][38] The "Ave maris stella" is in seven stanzas set to different scoring, with interspersed ritornelli. The Magnificat is in twelve movements, which Monteverdi wrote in two versions.

The following table shows the section numbers according to the 2013 edition by Carus,[36] then the function of the section within the Vespers, its text source, and the beginning of the text both in Latin and in English. The column for the voices has abbreviations SATB for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. A repeated letter means the voice part is divided, for example TT means "tenor 1 and tenor 2". The column for instruments often contains only their number, because Monteverdi did not always specify the instruments. The continuo plays throughout but is listed below (as "continuo") only when it has a role independent of the other instruments or voices. The last column lists the page number of the beginning of the section in the Carus edition.[36]

Cornetto player

The work opens with the traditional versicle and response for vespers services, the beginning of Psalm 70 (Psalm 69 in the Vulgate), Deus in adjutorium meum intende (Make haste, O God, to deliver me).[42] It is sung by a solo tenor, with the response from the same verse, Domine ad adjuvandum me festina (Make haste to help me, O LORD),[42] sung by a six-part choir. The movement is accompanied by a six-part orchestra with two cornettos, three trombones (which double the lower strings), strings, and continuo.[43]

The music is based on the opening toccata from Monteverdi's 1607 opera L'Orfeo,[27] to which the choir sings a falsobordone (a style of recitation) on the same chord.[44] The music has been described as "a call to attention" and "a piece whose brilliance is only matched by the audacity of its conception".[45]

The first psalm, Psalm 110, begins with Dixit Dominus Dominum meum (The LORD said unto my Lord). Monteverdi set it for a six-part choir with divided sopranos and tenors, and six instruments, prescribing sex vocibus & sex instrumentis. The first tenor begins alone with the cantus firmus. The beginnings of verses are often in falsobordone recitation, leading to six-part polyphonic settings.[19]

The first motet begins Nigra sum, sed formosa (I am black, but beautiful), from the Song of Songs. It is written for tenor solo in the new style of monody (a melodic solo line with accompaniment).[46]

Psalm 113 begins Laudate pueri Dominum (literally: 'Praise, children, the Lord'; in the KJV: 'Praise ye the Lord, O ye servants of the Lord'), and contains eight vocal parts and continuo. The second tenor begins alone with the cantus firmus.[19]

The second motet begins Pulchra es (You are beautiful) from the Song of Songs. Monteverdi set it for two sopranos, who often sing in third parallels.[46]

The third psalm is Psalm 122, beginning Laetatus sum (literally: 'I was glad'), a pilgrimage psalm. The music begins with a walking bass, which the first tenor enters with the cantus firmus. The movement is based on four patterns in the bass line and includes complex polyphonic settings and duets.[19]

The third motet begins Duo Seraphim (Two angels were calling one to the other), a text combined from Isaiah 6:2–3 and the First Epistle of John, 5:7. Monteverdi set it for three tenors. The first part, talking about the two angels, is a duet. When the text turns to the epistle mentioning the Trinity, the third tenor joins. They sing the text "these three are one" in unison. The vocal lines are highly ornamented.[46]

The fourth psalm, Psalm 127, opens with the words Nisi Dominus (Except the Lord [build the house]), and is for two tenors singing the cantus firmus and two four-part choirs, one echoing the other in overlapped singing.[47]

The fourth motet opens with the words Audi coelum verba mea (Hear my words, Heaven), based on an anonymous liturgical poem. It is set for two tenors, who sing in call and response (prima ad una voce sola), and expands to six voices at the word omnes (all).[48]

The fifth psalm, Psalm 147, begins Lauda Jerusalem (Praise, Jerusalem), and is set for two three-part choirs (SAB) and tenors singing the cantus firmus.[46]

The sonata is an instrumental movement with soprano singing of a cantus firmus from the Litany of Loreto (Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis – Holy Mary, pray for us), with rhythmic variants.[49] The movement opens with an instrumental section comparable to a pair of pavane and galliard, the same material first in even metre, then in triple metre. The vocal line appears eleven times, while the instruments play uninterrupted virtuoso music reminiscent of vocal parts in the motets.[50]

Gregorian chant of "Ave maris stella"

The penultimate section is devoted to the 8th century Marian hymn "Ave maris stella". Its seven stanzas are set in different scoring. The melody is in the soprano in all verses except verse 6, which is for tenor solo. Verse 1 is a seven-part setting. Verses 2 and 3 are the same vocal four-part setting, verse 2 for choir 1, verse 3 for choir 3. Similarly, verses 4 and 5 are set for soprano, first soprano 1, then soprano 2. Verses 1 to 5 are all followed by the same ritornello for five instruments. Verse 7 is the same choral setting as verse 1, followed by Amen.[51]

The hymn setting has been regarded as conservative, the chant melody in the upper voice throughout, but variety is achieved by different numbers of voices and interspersion of a ritornello. The instruments are not specified, to provide further variety. The last stanza repeats the first for formal symmetry.[46]

The last movement of a vespers service is the Magnificat. Monteverdi devotes a movement to every verse of the canticle, and two to the doxology. Depending on the mood of the text, the Magnificat is scored for a choir of up to seven voices, in solo, duo, or trio singing.[52] Monteverdi uses the Magnificat tone in every movement, a tone similar to the psalm tones but with an initium (beginning) which provides the possibility of more harmonic variety.[46]

The publication contains a second setting of the Magnificat for six voices and continuo accompaniment.[24]

Viola da braccio on a fresco by Gaudenzio Ferrari in Santa Maria dei Miracoli, c. 1535

Books

• Carter, Tim (2002). Monteverdi's Musical Theatre. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09676-7.
• Kurtzman, Jeffrey (2000). The Monteverdi Vespers of 1610: Music, Context, Performance. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-816409-8.
• Ringer, Mark (2006). Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of Claudio Monteverdi. Newark, New Jersey: Amadeus Press. ISBN 978-1-57467-110-0.
• Whenham, John (1997). Monteverdi: Vespers 1610. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45377-6.

Journals

• Blazey, David (May 1989). "A Liturgical Role for Monteverdi's 'Sonata sopra Sancta Maria'". Early Music. 17 (2): 177. JSTOR 3127447.
• Bowers, Roger (August 1992). "Some Reflection upon Notation and Proportion in Monteverdi's Mass and Vespers of 1610". Music & Letters. Oxford University Press. 73 (3): 347–398. doi:10.1093/ml/73.3.347. JSTOR 735294.
• Bowers, Roger (Autumn 2010). "Of 1610: Claudio Monteverdi's 'Mass, motets and vespers'". The Musical Times. 151 (1912): 41–46. JSTOR 25759499.
• Kemp, Lindsay (9 February 2015). "Monteverdi's Vespers – which recording is best?". Gramophone. London.
• Knighton, Tess (February 1990). "Monteverdi Vespers". Gramophone. London.
• Kurtzman, Jeffrey (2012). "Monteverdi's Mass and Vespers of 1610: The Economic, Social, and Courtly Context". Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music. 18 (1).
• McCreesh, Paul (May 1995). "Monteverdi Vespers: Three New Editions". Early Music. 23 (2): 325–327. doi:10.1093/earlyj/XXIII.2.325. JSTOR 3137712.
• Noske, Frits (1985). "An Unknown Work by Monteverdi: The Vespers of St. John the Baptist". Music and Letters. 66 (2): 118–122. doi:10.1093/ml/66.2.118.

Online sources

• Butt, John (2017). "Monteverdi / Vespers 1610 / Dunedin Consort" (PDF). Dunedin Consort. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
• Carter, Tim (2007). Monteverdi, Claudio. Grove Music Online. (subscription required)
• Estermann, Josef (22 April 2015). "Monteverdi variabel". musikzeitung.ch (in German). Schweizer Musikzeitung. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
• Quinn, John (May 2016). "Review recording of the month / Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) / Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610)". musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
• Whenham, John (2010). "'And all on a cantus firmus'". Monteverdi: Vespers (1610) / 5 – 'And all on a cantus firmus'. Cambridge Music Handbooks. Cambridge University Press. pp. 60–81. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511620119.005. ISBN 9780521459792. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
• Wolf, Uwe, ed. (October 2013). "Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine / Marienvesper / Vespers 1610" (PDF). Stuttgart: Carus-Verlag. pp. XII–XX.
• "Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine" (PDF). Chandos. Brilliant Classics. 2016. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 15 June 2020.

• Stevens, Denis (July 1961). "Where Are the Vespers of Yesteryear?". The Musical Quarterly. 47 (3): 315–330. doi:10.1093/mq/XLVII.3.315. JSTOR 740165.
• Bonta, Stephen (Spring 1967). "Liturgical Problems in Monteverdi's Marian Vespers". Journal of the American Musicological Society. 20 (1): 87–106. doi:10.2307/830454. JSTOR 830454.
• Kurtzman, Jeffrey (February 1985). "An Aberration Amplified". Early Music. 13 (1): 73, 75–76. doi:10.1093/earlyj/13.1.73. JSTOR 3127408.
• Parrott, Andrew (November 1984). "Transposition in Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610: An 'Aberration' Defended". Early Music. 12 (4): 490–516. doi:10.1093/earlyj/12.4.490. JSTOR 3137979.
• Parrott, Andrew (October 1995). "Getting It Right". The Musical Times. 136 (1832): 531–535. doi:10.2307/1003609. JSTOR 1003609.
• Parrott, Andrew (May 2004). "Onwards and Downwards". Early Music. 32 (2): 303–317. doi:10.1093/em/32.2.303. JSTOR 3519369. S2CID 194042307.