[Monteverdi:Vespro 1610/蒙特威爾第：聖母晚禱》- Gardiner( 2010BBC Proms)

所謂“晚禱”，也稱“晚課經”，本是羅馬天主教聖事的一項。作為合唱音樂，其內容通常由一係列詩篇、聖歌、讚美詩和“聖母尊主頌”等等組成。蒙特威爾第在17世紀初寫成的這部《晚禱:Vespro Della Beata Vergine》，是同類題材作品中最精美、感人的兩件傑作之一。另一件倒是出在本世紀，即拉赫馬尼諾夫的無伴奏人聲的《晚禱》.
 蒙特威爾第的音樂有巴羅克藝術的一切長處，激情依然蕩漾，卻絲毫沒有濫情、矯情；裝飾自然很多，卻不是油腔滑調、華而不實的那種。他將人類的聲音前所未有地大大豐富了，但讓我們聽來，這聲音依然是那麽純淨。(文字：verycd)

Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 (Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, 1610; SV 206 and 206a) — commonly called Vespers of 1610 — is a musical composition by Claudio Monteverdi. The term "Vespers" (evening prayers) is taken from the Hours of the Divine Office, a set of daily prayers of the Catholic Church which have remained structurally unchanged for 1500 years. In scale, Monteverdi's Vespers was the most ambitious work of religious music before Bach. This 90-minute piece includes soloists, chorus, and orchestra and has both liturgical and extra-liturgical elements.

Vespers is composed around several Biblical texts that are traditionally used as part of the liturgy for several Marian feasts in the Roman Catholic church: the introductory Deus in adjutorium (Psalm 69), five Psalm settings, sacred motets (called “concerti”) between the Psalms, a traditional Hymn, a setting of the Magnificat text and the concluding Benedicamus Domino.

• Versicle & Response (Psalm 69:1):
  • V: Deus in adjutorium meum intende
  • R: Domine ad adjuvandum me festina
    • This opening movement makes use of musical elements from the introduction to Monteverdi's Orfeo (1607)
• Psalm: Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110): Six voice choir and six instruments
• Motet: Nigra sum (from Song of Songs): Solo tenor
• Psalm: Laudate pueri (Psalm 112): Eight voice choir and organ
• Motet: Pulchra es (from Song of Songs): Vocal duet
• Psalm: Laetatus sum (Psalm 122): Six voice choir
• Motet: Duo Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2-3; 1 John 5:7): Vocal duet leading into trio
  • The text Duo Seraphim ("Two angels were calling one to the other...") begins as a duet. When the text (which melds lines from Isaiah and the First Letter of John) mentions the Trinity, a third tenor joins. All three sing in unison at the words, "these three are one."
• Psalm: Nisi Dominus (Psalm 127): Ten voice choir
• Motet: Audi coelum (anonymous liturgical poem): Two tenor soloists singing call and response (prima ad una voce sola)
• Psalm: Lauda Jerusalem (Psalm 147): Two choirs of three voices plus tenor cantus firmus
• Sonata sopra: Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis: Sopranos and instruments
• Hymn: Ave maris stella (8th C plainsong hymn): Two choirs and soloists
• Magnificat I
• Magnificat II