in Italy Daniel Bara conducts the Magnificent Monteverdi 1610 Vespers Celebrate the 400 th anniversary of this glorious work in Monteverdi s Church in his city of Venice May 22-31, 2010 Daniel Bara East Carolina University Individual concerts - Florence and Rome. i ta l y
Magnificent Monteverdi 1610 Vespers Table Of Contents Destination...1 Leader............................ 2 Highlights...4 Program...5 Package Details..................... 9 Producers...10 Daniel Bara 1610 VESPERS
DESTINATION Frari Church in Venice where Monteverdi is buried. Formally: Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Known simply as i Frari, this immense 13th- to 14thcentury Gothic church was built by the Franciscans (frari means brothers). It is the largest church in Venice after the Basilica of San Marco and has one of the highest bell towers in Venice. The Frari has long been considered something of a memorial to the ancient glories of Venice. Since St. Francis and the order he founded emphasized prayer and poverty, it is not surprising that the church is austere both inside and out. Yet it houses a number of important works, including two Titian masterpieces. The church s other masterwork is Giovanni Bellini s important triptych on wood, the Madonna and Child, displayed in the sacristy; it is one of his finest portraits of the Madonna. There is also an almost primitive-looking wood carving by Donatello of St. John the Baptist. Monteverdi was buried here on his death in 1643. Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers
LEADER DANIEL BARA Daniel Bara is an Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and instructor of conducting and choral literature at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina. A recent recipient of the UNC Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award, and a past winner of the Robert L. Jones Award for Outstanding Teaching, Dr. Bara heads ECU s program of four university choral ensembles, administers the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, and is the founder of the East Carolina University Summer Choral Conducting Institute. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the Eastman School of Music where he was also awarded the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize in May 2001. That year he also won the ACDA National Student Conducting Competition (Graduate Division) at the National Convention in San Antonio, TX. Dr. Bara is President of NC-ACDA and is the Artistic Director of the New York State Summer School of the Arts School of Choral Studies, an intensive month-long choral program for talented high school singers that culminates in concerts at the Chautauqua Institute and on the campus of SUNY Fredonia. Dr. Bara holds conducting and organ degrees from the University of Michigan and the Eastman School of Music and is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy. Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers 2
LEADER MESSAGE FROM DANIEL Join me in May of 2010 on the 400th anniversary of one of the oldest and most celebrated masterpieces in all of Western Music as we explore the intimacy and grandeur of the Vespers and walk in Monteverdi s footsteps in his adopted and beloved home of Venice. REPERTOIRE Though Monteverdi was still in the employ at the Gonzaga Court in Mantua when his magnificent Vespers of the Blessed Virgin was first published in Venice in 1610, its style, grandeur, and scope couldn t have been better suited for the tastes and customs of the Venetian musical establishment. Indeed, it is quite possibly among the spectacular works that Monteverdi himself chose to mount when he submitted to the extensive audition process for the illustrious position of maestro di cappella at the basilica of St. Mark s in August of 1613. Indeed, this piece is at home in Venice! (And, of course, Monteverdi got the job.) 3 Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers
HIGHLIGHTS Rome Venice Florence 2010 Saturday, May 22 Sunday, May 23 Monday, May 24 Tuesday, May 25 Wednesday, May 26 Thursday, May 27 Friday, May 28 Saturday, May 29 Sunday, May 30 Monday, May 31 Departure Arrive Rome Orientation tour Tour of Vatican Museums Individual Performance Tour Ancient Rome Travel to Florence Visit Assisi Travel to Florence Sightseeing Sing Mass Travel to Venice Rehearsal Rehearsal Tour of Venice Explore Venice Dress rehearsal Performance of Monteverdi Vespers Departure Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers 4
PROGRAM MAY 2010 Saturday, May 22 Depart U.S.A Sunday, May 23 Arrival Rome Transfer to Hotel for Check in Orientation tour of Rome Overnight in Rome Monday, May 24 Breakfast daily Guided tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, with its breathtaking frescos by Michelangelo, and the Raphael Rooms, which established Raphael s reputation in Rome. See St. Peter s Square, the largest part of Vatican City, the world s smallest state and the only European State to be ruled by the Pope Independent lunch Performance Overnight in Rome Tuesday, May 25 Guided tour of Ancient Rome. See the Capitoline Hill, citadel of ancient Rome, the Tarpeian Rock, the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum Independent lunch Afternoon to explore Rome Overnight in Rome 5 Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers
PROGRAM Wednesday, May 26 Travel to Florence En route we visit Assisi surrounded by ramparts and little changed since the Middle-Age. This is the town of the deeply mystical and poetic St. Francis. See the Church of St. Clara, the founder of the Order of Poor Clares, and the medieval castle and cathedral Independent Lunch Transfer to Montecatini for check-in Orientation tour Overnight in Montecatini Thursday, May 27 Travel to Florence. Florence is a city in which Italian artistic and intellectual genius flourished. Dante, poet and historian, Michelangelo, painter, architect and sculptor found the city to be an ideal forum for their intellectual and artistic development. Upon arrival we have a guided tour of Florence. Visit the Piazza Del Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Accademia Museums and Piazza della Signoria Independent Lunch Entrance to Accademia, one of the best known museums in Florence. It houses famous sculptures by Michelangelo, including the David. There are also many paintings, collected by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold Sing Mass Overnight in Montecatini Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers 6
PROGRAM Friday, May 28 Travel to Venice Arrive Mestre Independent Lunch Rehearsal Overnight in Mestre Saturday, May 29 Morning rehearsal Transfer to Venice Island Guided visit of the historical center of Venice: the golden Basilica of St. Mark, the Doge s Palace decorated by 16th century artists such as Titian and Tintoretto, the Bridge of Sighs and Piombi Prison Explore Venice Overnight in Mestre 7 Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers
PROGRAM Sunday, May 30 Arrive Venice Island Free time to explore Venice on your own Independent Lunch Dress rehearsal Performance of Monteverdi Vespers on Venice Island Overnight in Mestre Monday, May 31 Transfer to airport for your return flight home ** Itinerary subject to change. ** Confirmation of performances is dependent upon early receipt of performance information: biographies, pictures, recordings and repertoire Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers 8
PRODUCERS KINGSWAY INTERNATIONAL proudly stages some of the finest performance tours around the world and in America. Many of these are custom stand alone tours in glorious destinations and settings such as the Vatican. Others are part of festivals in venues as commanding as the Sydney Opera House, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Votiv Kirche, Dvorak Hall, and the Berliner Dome. These festivals are deftly guest conducted by some of the most talented of all musical leaders and educators. International performance travel has always presented challenges requiring a myriad of details to come together in order to make magical musical moments. This has never been truer than today. KI seeks to be your partner in managing these challenges in new and creative ways. ERIC DALE KNAPP Artistic Advisor Eric Dale Knapp brings a diverse and unique background to KI. He has enjoyed success in Music Education at all levels, Church Music, and with professional choral and orchestral organizations. He has conducted at distinctive concert halls including Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Shanghai s Oriental Art Centre, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Dvorak Hall and Vienna s Musikverein. Mr. Knapp is Artistic Director and Conductor of the New Jersey Choral Society & Orchestra which he has led to critical acclaim both in the U.S. and abroad; Artistic Director and Conductor of the Connecticut Choral Society & Orchestra; Music Director for the Mark Thallander Foundation; founder and Music Director of Orchestra de Camerata and Artistic Director of Chamber Music at the Salisbury House Iowa. He is Principal Conductor of the American Festival Symphony at Carnegie Hall and Artistic Advisor to Kingsway International for choral and orchestral programming. For 13 years he served as Music Director and Senior Organist at Faith Lutheran Church in Des Moines, IA. Mr. Knapp is based in New York City and is represented by Wade Artist Management. 3260 E. Woodmen Rd. #200 Colorado Springs, CO 80920-3587 Phone: (719) 260-0200 Fax: (719) 598-8674 Email: Oliver@KingswayInternational.net www.kingswayinternational.net