We fest the 40th Anniversay of the creation of Les Arts Florissants by William Christie

Dixit Dominus is Handel’s most famous motet which he composed in Rome in 1707, at the age of 22. The pieces embody a kind of excitement and freedom, and a richness of ideas, which he takes over later in his English oratorios. You can hear him stretching his musical wings in this music, and it certainly doesn’t fail to take off in these very lively performances. Handel’s music is based on Gregorian melodies using the “plain chant” in cantus firmus like a Lutheran chorus. The work is divided into nine movements, scored for a five-part chorus and five soloists. Handel conveys the power of the assured, martial text through contrasts between movements as well as within each movement. The piece also contains numerous examples of word painting, where the sound of the music imitates the imagery of the text. In addition to the program we will hear Vivaldi’s Gloria RV 589. Vivaldi had the great chance to work with one of the best Venetian ensembles and he composed his sacred music for famous young girls of the Pietà.