By 1613, when appointed maestro di capella at the cathedral church of St. Mark in Venice, Monteverdi had completed his opera, Orfeo, the magnificent Vespers of 1610, and a great deal of other church music; he was well established as a pre-eminent composer in the "new style" of the early Baroque. In Venice, he continued to revitalize church music in two great collections, Selva morale e spirituale (1640) and Messa a quattro voci (published in the year of his death, 1651), from which this setting of Psalm 112 is taken. There are few better examples of the way sacred music was being released from the emotional boundaries of Renaissance polyphony into the light and color of early Baroque humanism. Just as the Vespers it shows a freedom from liturgical and musical conventions of the time; but the composer was confident that this quality, coupled with the technical perfection achieved in his nine books of madrigals and other music, was the best way to keep music and poetry alive in the spirit of prayer. The work, for double choir, strings and organ, is in free concertante style. Monteverdi's setting is operatic in feeling and clearly inspired by his own sensuous madrigal Chiome d'oro (Golden Hair). The opening phrases, alive with simple joy, melodic grace, and sweet reason, are followed by a more reflective middle section in which the parlando (recitative-like) nature of the music is retained with no lessening of its dramatic impact. Towards the end, a slowing of tempo and broadening of harmony remind us that this is indeed a hymn of praise, and the vigor of the opening flourishes is transformed into a fervent, elaborated ritornello for choir and orchestra and a jubilant Amen. (AllMusic)
I think that's the first piece by Monteverdi I've ever heard and *enjoyed* ..... lololol We studied the Hell out of L'Orfeo in college and I developed a distinct dislike for that "first" opera 😎😎😎
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...wonderful,wonderful,wonderful...!
By 1613, when appointed maestro di capella at the cathedral church of St. Mark in Venice, Monteverdi had completed his opera, Orfeo, the magnificent Vespers of 1610, and a great deal of other church music; he was well established as a pre-eminent composer in the "new style" of the early Baroque. In Venice, he continued to revitalize church music in two great collections, Selva morale e spirituale (1640) and Messa a quattro voci (published in the year of his death, 1651), from which this setting of Psalm 112 is taken. There are few better examples of the way sacred music was being released from the emotional boundaries of Renaissance polyphony into the light and color of early Baroque humanism. Just as the Vespers it shows a freedom from liturgical and musical conventions of the time; but the composer was confident that this quality, coupled with the technical perfection achieved in his nine books of madrigals and other music, was the best way to keep music and poetry alive in the spirit of prayer. The work, for double choir, strings and organ, is in free concertante style. Monteverdi's setting is operatic in feeling and clearly inspired by his own sensuous madrigal Chiome d'oro (Golden Hair). The opening phrases, alive with simple joy, melodic grace, and sweet reason, are followed by a more reflective middle section in which the parlando (recitative-like) nature of the music is retained with no lessening of its dramatic impact. Towards the end, a slowing of tempo and broadening of harmony remind us that this is indeed a hymn of praise, and the vigor of the opening flourishes is transformed into a fervent, elaborated ritornello for choir and orchestra and a jubilant Amen.
(AllMusic)
I think that's the first piece by Monteverdi I've ever heard and *enjoyed* ..... lololol
We studied the Hell out of L'Orfeo in college and I developed a distinct dislike for that "first" opera
😎😎😎