Reflections on Titian’s The Assumption by Ray Sprenkle

Описание: Reflections on Titian’s The Assumption by Ray Sprenkle (1948-2025)
Commissioned by the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra

The Assumption of the Virgin, or Frari Assumption, popularly known as the Assunta, is a large altarpiece panel painting in oils by the Italian Renaissance artist Titian, completed between 1515 and 1518. It remains in the position it was designed for, on the high altar of the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, or Frari church, in Venice. It is the largest altarpiece in the city, with figures well over life-size, necessitated by the large church and the considerable distance between the altar and the congregation. The images above and below are not Titian's work; they are by Palma Vecchio.

Composed by Peabody Conservatory alumnus, longtime faculty member, and Alumni Achievement Award-winner Elam Ray Sprenkle, Peabody '66 (BM), '71 (MM), '79 (DMA). Sprenkle passed away on November 11, 2025.

Hailed by The Baltimore Sun as "one of Maryland's foremost composers," Sprenkle's infectious enthusiasm for classical music made his lecture courses on both the Peabody and Homewood campuses beloved by a generation of students. His celebrity as a faculty member was bolstered by his weekly radio show On Music, which ran on both WJHU and WBJC.

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