Italy's Monteverdi enchants Fez at sacred music festival

The 28th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music commenced with reverence and celebration as Italy, this year’s honored guest, presented a musical gift to the Moroccan audience.

A night of sacred beauty

The evening's highlight at Bab El Makina was a rare performance of Vespro della Beata Vergine by Claudio Monteverdi, a masterpiece of early sacred music. Set against the backdrop of Fez, this performance unfolded as a spiritual journey. The Festival Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, led by Italian conductor Antonio Greco, shared the stage with Morocco’s Ensemble Briouel and the Orchestre Arabo-Andalou de Fes, under the direction of maestro Mohammed Briouel. Together, they crafted a deeply traditional and moving experience.

Music melting pot

Monteverdi’s Vespers, composed in 1610, lies at the intersection of Renaissance purity and Baroque drama. Known for its grandeur and expressive force, this particular performance in Fez was distinguished by its fusion with local musical heritage.

The incorporation of the Arabo-Andalusian orchestra not only accompanied the piece but transformed it. Moroccan instruments and rhythms wove through Monteverdi’s European harmonies, creating a warmth and texture that felt more like a dialogue between two kindred traditions than a mere reinterpretation. Briouel, a master of classical Arab-Andalusian music and a protégé of Hadj Abdelkrim Raïs, added depth and authenticity to the performance. His presence underscored the notion that sacred music, regardless of origin, springs from a shared well of devotion and human longing.

Twin cities

Earlier in the day, Italy’s Ambassador to Morocco, Armando Barucco, highlighted the historical and cultural ties between the two nations. “Florence, the cradle of the European Renaissance, is twinned with only one city in the world,” he remarked. “That city is Fez.”

Barucco's comments resonated with the festival's theme—a celebration of music and shared ideals. “We pondered what we could offer in return for this invitation,” he stated. “We turned to our roots, to Monteverdi, a composer who significantly shaped the concept of sacred music in Europe. By bringing his work here, we offer a gesture of cultural respect.”

As the final notes of the Vespers lingered in the night air, the audience rose in quiet awe. This was not merely a performance but a moment of grace. For those present, it felt as if the barriers between past and present, between Florence and Fez, had briefly dissolved.

The night set the tone for a festival dedicated to sacred sounds and spiritual connections. In a world often divided, the Fez Festival remains a sanctuary where music underscores our shared humanity. Last night, Monteverdi’s voice, resonating across centuries and cultures, spoke with clarity and purpose.