Salzburg Festival Whitsun 2025 - Vespro della Beata Virigine

The Salzburg Whitsun Festival of 2025 will feature music spanning five centuries, either created in Venice, inspired by its rich cultural legacy, or composed in tribute to this timeless city.

Vespers for the Blessed Virgin
For centuries, Venice was a centre of music history, famous for major composers such as Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Rossini and Verdi, and as the site of the world's first public opera house. Claudio Monteverdi, in particular, played an important role: in 1613 he was appointed maestro di capella at St. Mark's Cathedral – one of the most prestigious positions in Italy. His best-known work, the Vespers for the Blessed Virgin (1610), which combined his operatic style with that of sacred music, is considered one of the most important sacred works of the 17th century.