VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2009 (VIS) - At 5.30 p.m. today in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Pope attended a concert offered by Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, to mark the fourth anniversary of his pontificate. The Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra and Choir of Milan were conducted, respectively, by Xian Zhang and Erina Gambarini.
The concert programme included Franz Joseph Haydn's 95th Symphony, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 35th Symphony, Antonio Vivaldi's Magnificat and the famous "Ave Verum Corpus", also by Mozart.
In his remarks at the end of the performance, Benedict XVI noted how in the last of these compositions "meditation gives way to contemplation: the eye of the soul rests upon the Blessed Sacrament and recognises therein the 'Corpus Domini', the Body which was truly sacrificed upon the cross and from which came forth universal salvation.
"Mozart", he added, "composed this piece shortly before his death, and in it we can say that music truly becomes prayer, an abandonment of the heart to God with a profound sense of peace".
The Holy Father then thanked President Napolitano for this "generous homage" which, he said, "managed to gratify not only our aesthetic sense, but at the same time to nourish our spirit, and I am, therefore, doubly grateful".
"Remember me in your prayers", he concluded, "that I may always carry out my ministry as the Lord wishes".
BXVI-CONCERT/.../NAPOLITANO VIS 20090504 (240)
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