所谓“晚祷”，也称“晚课经”，本是罗马天主教圣事的一项。作为合唱音乐，其内容通常由一系列诗篇、圣歌、赞美诗和“圣母尊主颂”等等组成。蒙特威尔第在17世纪初写成的这部《晚祷:Vespro Della Beata Vergine》，是同类题材作品中最精美、感人的两件杰作之一。另一件倒是出在本世纪，即拉赫马尼诺夫的无伴奏人声的《晚祷》.
蒙特威尔第的音乐有巴罗克艺术的一切长处，激情依然荡漾，却丝毫没有滥情、矫情；装饰自然很多，却不是油腔滑调、华而不实的那种。他将人类的声音前所未有地大大丰富了，但让我们听来，这声音依然是那么纯净。(文字：verycd)
Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 (Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, 1610; SV 206 and 206a) — commonly called Vespers of 1610 — is a musical composition by Claudio Monteverdi. The term "Vespers" (evening prayers) is taken from the Hours of the Divine Office, a set of daily prayers of the Catholic Church which have remained structurally unchanged for 1500 years. In scale, Monteverdi's Vespers was the most ambitious work of religious music before Bach. This 90-minute piece includes soloists, chorus, and orchestra and has both liturgical and extra-liturgical elements.
Vespers is composed around several Biblical texts that are traditionally used as part of the liturgy for several Marian feasts in the Roman Catholic church: the introductory Deus in adjutorium (Psalm 69), five Psalm settings, sacred motets (called “concerti”) between the Psalms, a traditional Hymn, a setting of the Magnificat text and the concluding Benedicamus Domino.
- Versicle & Response (Psalm 69:1):
- V: Deus in adjutorium meum intende
- R: Domine ad adjuvandum me festina
- This opening movement makes use of musical elements from the introduction to Monteverdi's Orfeo (1607)
- Psalm: Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110): Six voice choir and six instruments
- Motet: Nigra sum (from Song of Songs): Solo tenor
- Psalm: Laudate pueri (Psalm 112): Eight voice choir and organ
- Motet: Pulchra es (from Song of Songs): Vocal duet
- Psalm: Laetatus sum (Psalm 122): Six voice choir
- Motet: Duo Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2-3; 1 John 5:7): Vocal duet leading into trio
- The text Duo Seraphim ("Two angels were calling one to the other...") begins as a duet. When the text (which melds lines from Isaiah and the First Letter of John) mentions the Trinity, a third tenor joins. All three sing in unison at the words, "these three are one."
- Psalm: Nisi Dominus (Psalm 127): Ten voice choir
- Motet: Audi coelum (anonymous liturgical poem): Two tenor soloists singing call and response (prima ad una voce sola)
- Psalm: Lauda Jerusalem (Psalm 147): Two choirs of three voices plus tenor cantus firmus
- Sonata sopra: Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis: Sopranos and instruments
- Hymn: Ave maris stella (8th C plainsong hymn): Two choirs and soloists
- Magnificat I
- Magnificat II
