Monteverdi's Vespers presented by Pinnacle Concert Series

Monteverdi’s “Vespers”

Sunday, April 22, 2012 3:00 P.M.

Pinnacle Sanctuary

Lets set the scene.  Its 1610.  Claudio Monteverdi is 43 years old and in a bit of trouble.  He has been roundly criticized for his contrapuntal unorthodoxies and he is in financial strife, in danger of being a has-been.  To top it off, he is having problems with his benefactors at the court of Gonzanga.  He needs a new job – a job like the maestro di cappella at St. Mar’s Cathedral in Venice would be just fine.  Being the master of music at a major cathedral would look very good on his curriculum vitae.

And so the Vespers are born…..choirs reverberate from galleries and soloists echo from all directions with daring stereophonic effects.  It is sacred music of the highest degree, but also high theatre.  It is the junction between Renaissance restraint and Baroque splendor.  And it could well have been Monteverdi’s audition piece for the job of St. Mark’s.

Join Kira Rugen, Director of Children’s & Youth Choral ensembles at Pinnacle, and doctoral candidate at Arizona State University, along with the ASU Early Music Ensemble, as they present CLaudion Monteverdi’s timless masterpiece, Vespers of the Blessed Virgin.

About Pinnacle Concert Series:

Providing vital community outreach that enriches the lives of all ages spiritually, culturally, and educationally through music.

Information Phone Number: 480-585-9448

Website:  www.pinnacleconcerts.org