Concert Misteri d'Elx
07 April 2024/19h30/ Spain / Valencia
The Festa o Misteri d'Elx is a performance with medieval roots, divided into two parts, which is held every year on 14 and 15 August, inside the Basilica of Santa María in the city of Elche. It recreates the death, assumption, and coronation of the Virgin Mary and presents numerous artistic and historical aspects worthy of consideration.
It is the only work of its kind that has been performed uninterruptedly to the present day thanks to a privilege granted by Pope Urban VIII (1632), which allowed it to be kept alive despite the prohibitions of the Council of Trent. It is a unique example of medieval theatre, as recognized by UNESCO when it was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.
The Festa o Misteri has aspects that attract attention, such as the complex stage design that allows the heavenly characters to intervene from the dome of the church. But, without a doubt, its most notable artistic facet is the musical one. The drama of Elche is entirely sung and contains melodies which, according to expert opinion, come from various periods. There are songs of clear medieval and Renaissance ancestry, and there are even decorations and additions from the Baroque period and even later. However, its musical unity is extraordinary, as specialists have pointed out.
In addition to the performances on its usual stage, it is possible to get to know the music of the Misteri through concerts held outside the Basilica of Santa María. These Festa concerts are the most appropriate way of approaching the work, as they allow us to get to know its text and music.
They include a selection of the most representative motets from each scene, sung in the same order as the original performance, and constitute a choral concert that summarises the plot, the music, and the staging of the original work, which by tradition is only performed in its entirety in Elche.
This concert is an invitation to witness the Festa with all its scenic and popular elements in the Basilica of Santa María de Elche.
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Músiques Religioses del Món is a cycle of concerts for the enjoyment of religious music from all cultures, regardless of the beliefs and ideas of each spectator. A space for reflection on questions that are rarely addressed in secular society and that we find in practically all religions, such as death, forgiveness, eternity, the soul, and goodness.
It is the only work of its kind that has been performed uninterruptedly to the present day thanks to a privilege granted by Pope Urban VIII (1632), which allowed it to be kept alive despite the prohibitions of the Council of Trent. It is a unique example of medieval theatre, as recognized by UNESCO when it was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.
The Festa o Misteri has aspects that attract attention, such as the complex stage design that allows the heavenly characters to intervene from the dome of the church. But, without a doubt, its most notable artistic facet is the musical one. The drama of Elche is entirely sung and contains melodies which, according to expert opinion, come from various periods. There are songs of clear medieval and Renaissance ancestry, and there are even decorations and additions from the Baroque period and even later. However, its musical unity is extraordinary, as specialists have pointed out.
In addition to the performances on its usual stage, it is possible to get to know the music of the Misteri through concerts held outside the Basilica of Santa María. These Festa concerts are the most appropriate way of approaching the work, as they allow us to get to know its text and music.
They include a selection of the most representative motets from each scene, sung in the same order as the original performance, and constitute a choral concert that summarises the plot, the music, and the staging of the original work, which by tradition is only performed in its entirety in Elche.
This concert is an invitation to witness the Festa with all its scenic and popular elements in the Basilica of Santa María de Elche.
_________
Músiques Religioses del Món is a cycle of concerts for the enjoyment of religious music from all cultures, regardless of the beliefs and ideas of each spectator. A space for reflection on questions that are rarely addressed in secular society and that we find in practically all religions, such as death, forgiveness, eternity, the soul, and goodness.
