Gardiner made his debut as a conductor at the age of 15 and at 21 he founded the Monteverdi Choir on the occasion of a performance of the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin by Monteverdi in the Chapel at King's College at Cambridge University. Today, Sir John Eliot Gardiner is one of the most emblematic conductors of our time and his ensemble has gained international recognition.
On December 8th, 2008, he was in Stockholm and during the Nobel Prize Concert he conducted the Monteverdi Choir, accompanied by Eric Ericson's Chamber Choir and the Royal Philharmonic of Sweden, in a programme dedicated to Dvořák's Symphony No. 7 and Mozart's Mass in C Minor.
The latter is a fascinating piece of work because of the mystery around its composition. Why did Mozart compose this piece in 1783 when he had composed no religious music since his departure in 1777 from the home of Archbishop Colloredo, his hated protector? And why did he leave the work unfinished? Apart from these questions, the mass in C Minor remains one of the most intense and moving of Mozart's works. This version performed during the Nobel Prize Concert is astounding. And as usual, Gardiner conducts magnificently with great passion.
