Sacred Venetian music dedicated to Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus for voice and ancient instrumen

Another concert in the series Festival Monteverdi di Venezia will be presented by the Cultural Association Musica Venezia. The concert will be  performed by VeniDilecteMi conducted by Jonathan Pradella at St. Salvador’s Church on Sunday, 6 September at 9 p.m. The ensemble will include 5 voices, violin, viola, theorba and organ.

The theme of the evening, in the context of the Venetian Historical Regatta, will be the 520th anniversary of the triumphant arrival in Venice of Caterina Cornaro (Venice 1454 – Asolo 1510).  This theme is closely connected to the places associated with Caterina Cornaro, who was Queen of Cyprus, Signora di Asolo, as well as “Adopted daughter of the Republic of Venice”, and who is buried in St. Salvador’s Church.

The biblical and devotional texts are drawn mainly from the Song of Songs and  “regal” psalms such as Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110), where the enthronement of the terrestial king alludes to the eternal King.  The historical events related to Caterina Cornaro will be celebrated and transfigured through pieces which recall Cyprus (Pulchrae sunt) and its apostles Paul and Barnaba (Exultet orbis).  In the context of St. Salvador Church, there will also be a hymn to St. Theodore, the first patron of Venice, whose ashes are preserved here in an urn.

The principal composer will be Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643).  However, there will also be pieces of Monteverdi’s circle, his main students and collaborators such as  Alessandro Grandi, Francesco Cavalli, Giovanni Rovetta and other great composers active in Venice in the first half of the 17th century.  Monteverdi madrigals with sacred texts will be performed, alternating with solo pieces accompanied by basso continuo and instrumental pieces by Biagio Marini, Johannes Kapsberger, and others.  One special piece is Surge, a marvelous motet written by the young Monteverdi, published in 1582 when he was only 14 years old.