April 4, 2004
'Vespers of 1610' to Be Performed
EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Northwestern University School of Music
will present the 2004 Evelyn Dunbar Memorial Early Music Festival
from May 13 to 16.
The festival events will be held at several venues on the Evanston
campus, as noted below.
Highlighting
the festival will be a May 16 performance of Claudio Monteverdi’s choral masterwork “Vespers of 1610” on
original instruments, conducted by Northwestern faculty member
Stephen Alltop, and a week-long residency by renowned Monteverdi
scholar Jeffrey Kurtzman, professor of musicology at Washington
University, St. Louis. The performance will feature combined forces
of nearly 100. Other festival activities include an open rehearsal
of the “Vespers” (May 15) and a master class (May 13)
led by a panel of early music experts that will include Professor
Kurtzman.
The “Vespers of 1610” is
a work of grand proportion, demonstrating the remarkable drama,
craft and contrapuntal mastery
which made Monteverdi the outstanding composer of his age. Composed
in 14 movements for chorus and orchestra, it features numerous
solo vocal parts and a virtuoso instrumental accompaniment. The
question of why it was written has never been resolved, but it
seems to have been a compositional portfolio for Monteverdi, demonstrating
his expertise in a variety of church music styles.
“It is rare for this remarkable collection of pieces to
be performed with period wind and string instruments such as cornetti,
sackbuts and a theorbo,” noted Northwestern conductor Alltop. ”We
are delighted to be able to share this unique Evanston campus experience
with the public.”
The annual
Evelyn Dunbar Memorial Early Music Festival is made possible
through the generous support of Northwestern alumni Ruth
Dunbar Davee and her late husband, Ken M. Davee, in memory of Ruth’s
sister, Evelyn Dunbar. Ms. Dunbar was an enthusiastic participant
in early music ensembles at the University and stipulated, as part
of her gift, that the festival include both students and members
of the community.
The following
festival events are open to the public and will be held at venues
on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus,
as indicated below.
Early Music
Master Class, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13, Lutkin Hall, 700 University
Place. Panelists Mary Springfels, Kurt Hansen,
Stephen Alltop, David Douglass and Monteverdi scholar Jeffrey Kurtzman
will critique singers and instrumentalists from Northwestern University
and the community as they perform selections from Monteverdi’s “Vespers.” Admission
is free. Interested participants should contact Stephen Alltop
at swa440@northwestern.edu.
Open rehearsal
of Monteverdi’s “Vespers of 1610,” 1:30
p.m. Saturday, May 15, Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is free.
Monteverdi’s “Vespers of 1610,” 6 p.m. pre-concert
talk and 7 p.m. concert, Sunday, May 16, Alice Millar Chapel and
Religious Center. The 6 p.m. pre-concert talk at Vail Chapel (adjacent
to Millar Chapel) will feature guest Monteverdi scholar Jeffrey
Kurtzman. The 7 p.m. performance will feature Northwestern University
student soloists, faculty conductor Stephen Alltop and the Alice
Millar Chapel Choir; Mary Springfels, director of Northwestern’s
Early Music Ensemble, and guest violinist David Douglass. Seating
for both the talk and the concert will be on a first-come, first-seated
basis. Admission to the pre-concert talk and concert is a freewill
offering.
For more information, call Pick-Staiger Concert Hall at (847)
491-5441. |