Pergolesi e Vivaldi: Stabat Mater

O wydarzeniu

In this highly‐anticipated concert, hear the mellifluous sounds of Stabat Mater by Vivaldi and Pergolesi at Naples's treasured and world‐renowned Complesso Monumentale Donnaregina.

Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi went down in history as a creator of the instrumental concert genre and the father of orchestral music. He was born in Venice on the 4th of March 1678. Vivaldi was a weak and sickly child suffering from asthma, however could not stop him from devoting himself completely to music. His father, Giovanni Batista a professional violinist, taught his elder son Antonio to play the violin. With his father young Antonio met the best musicians of Venice of that time and gave concerts in local churches. He also worked as a violin teacher and later as a music director at the orphanage Ospedalle della Pieta. Meanwhile he composed concertos, sacred works and vocal music and in 1713 he achieved great recognition with his sacred choral music. Vivaldi got captivated by the world of opera and worked both as opera composer and impresario at the Teatro San Angelo. In 1717 he obtained a prestigious position by the prince court in Manua as a director of secular music and worked there until around 1720. During that time he composed his world‐renowned masterpiece The Four Seasons.

In the 1730's his career dwindled as his music became unfashionable and the great composer died in poverty. It took the world two centuries to rediscover and reevaluate Vivaldi’s music, as it was buried into oblivion after his death. In the early 20th century many previously unknown works were found and immediately captured the hearts of the music lovers.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

Monteverdi’s unique artistic legacy marks the transition of musical traditions from Renaissance to Baroque. Born in 1567 in Cremona, Italy, Claudio Monteverdi showed his talent at an early age. Already in 1582 his first work, a set of motets, was published in Venice. By 1590 he became a famous composer in Italy and a musician to the court of Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga of Mantua where he made acquaintances with prominent painters, composers and writers of the time. In 1607 his first opera, L’Orpheo, was staged in Mantua and was a sweeping success. Even today this passionate and expressive opera is frequently performed worldwide. The following year his second opera L’Arianna followed, again receiving public acclaim. Unfortunately, only a piece from this opera L'Arianna has survived until present day.
After the death of Duke Vincenzo, Monteverdi did not wish to serve in the court anymore and moved to Venice where he was appointed as a maestro di cappella at San Marco Cathedral. There he managed the choir and composed sacred music. In the 1630’s Monteverdi’s world was severely disturbed by the outbreak of the plague in Venice leading to more than 45000 casualties. However, 1637 is marked as a revival both of the city and the composer’s work: that year saw the opening of the magnificent opera house of San Cassiano, for which Monteverdi composed a few successful operas up until his death in 1643.