Amor Divino

Baroque devotion portrayed through the music from St. Vitus Cathedral
J. D. Zelenka, J. A. Hasse, B. Galuppi

Damien Guillon – alto (France)
Cecilia Bernardini – orchestra leader (The Netherlands)
Jana Semerádová – artistic director
Collegium Marianum – baroque orchestra

Thursday 23 July 2009, 7.30 pm
St. Simon and Juda Church, Dušní, Prague 1

The inaugural concert of the 10th  Summer Festivities of Early Music presented a unique programme of  alto arias with which the Prague Cathedral of St. Vitus used to resound in the first half of the 18th century. The alto part was sung by the renowned French countertenor Damien Guillon, accompanied by the Czech baroque ensemble Collegium Marianum led by Jana Semerádová and Cecilia Bernardini. The performance was the result of a comprehensive study of the musical archives at the Prague Castle which comprise a collection of autographs, period copies and rare prints of such composers as Vivaldi and Caldara, providing evidence of the European significance of St. Vitus' Choir. In addition to compositions by its own members, the Choir also performed works by the Viennese composer J. J. Fux, the Dresden composers J. A. Hasse and Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin and the Prague or Prague-Dresden composers such as A. Reichenauer, F. I. A. Tůma and J. D. Zelenka. All these appeared on the programme Amor Divino.