DAYTON, OH (February 15, 2010) – The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will present Claudio Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine (Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary), often called the “1610 Vespers,” in a special 400th anniversary performance on Saturday, February 27, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Wilkinson Street in Dayton.
Joining the DPO and Music Director Neal Gittleman will be the Dayton Philharmonic Chamber Choir under the direction of Hank Dahlman; the Bach Society of Dayton Chorus under the direction of John Neely; and vocal soloists Kendra Colton, soprano; Tony Arnold, soprano; John Wesley Wright, tenor; Jeffrey Halili, tenor; Daniel Anderson, tenor; Andrew Garland, baritone; and Jonathan Hays, baritone.
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) is widely acknowledged as the composer who bridged the gap between the musical styles of the Renaissance, into which he was born, and the newly emerging Baroque period. Monteverdi wrote his Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, completed in 1610, for the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua and dedicated the work to Pope Paul V.
But the composition’s true home is undoubtedly the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, where Monteverdi became music-master in 1613. Indeed, Monteverdi could well have conceived the Vespers with the Cathedral’s echoing spaces, galleries, balconies, organ, and choir lofts in mind.
Tickets for the February 27 performance are priced at $28 for Adults, $26 for Seniors, $14 for Students and are available by calling (888) 228-3630 or by ordering on the web at www.daytonphilharmonic.com. All seating is on a General Admission basis (no reserved seats).