Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Monteverdi was an Italian composer who was vital in making the transition from the Renaissance period to the Baroque period. Monteverdi was also one of the most important developers in the new style, opera. He is also recognized for bringing a “modern” style into church music. This resulted in considerable fame during his lifetime. During his long life he composed many works including 8 books of madrigals and forty operas. Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona Italy on May 15, 1567. His father was a Barer-surgeon and alchemist. While it is not confirmed, it is believed that post of his parents were musically inclined because of the later musical success on Claudio and his brother. As a child, Monteverdi served
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Orfeo was considered the most remarkable first production in any genre by any composer. This opera also marked the beginning of a new style known as drama per musica, or musical drama. The music of this opera represents a vital crossroads for contemporary practices. It included; chorused with imitative polyphony and chordal harmonies, da capo arias, independent instrumental pieces, solo ensembles, and recitative like style of text setting. The opera was performed with a 40 instrument orchestra, there is never a point when all of the instruments play at once. The instrumentation was mostly left to the director, however Monteverdi specified instrumentation in certain parts. This is the first time that a composer has specified instrumentation. The most remarkable feature of Orfeo is its deliberate attempt to establish an overall design. This can be seen in Act I where the solos, ensembles, choruses, and instrumental ritornellos form two ABA …show more content…
He was ordered back to Mantua but this time he refused to go. He eventually did return, but hated the Gonzaga court after that, he claimed that he was overworked and underpaid. Through this period of depression Monteverdi continued to compose, and these new compositions reflected the depression he was feeling. He composed a madrigal that reflected his feeling about the death of the primma donna, which was published in his sixth madrigal book. In this sixth madrigal book, there is even more dissonance than in earlier books. HE wrote some church music at this time, including a mass in the old style, and music for the vespers. Monteverdi’s mass was a remarkable achievement for him. It represented a deliberate attempt to show that polyphonic idiom was still possible, though it was dying in other places. Even more remarkable was the vespers music, because it was more or less a collection of all the modern styles at one time. This is where we begin to see Monteverdi merging old style with new ideas, effectively making the transition from renaissance to
Orfeo was considered the most remarkable first production in any genre by any composer. This opera also marked the beginning of a new style known as drama per musica, or musical drama. The music of this opera represents a vital crossroads for contemporary practices. It included; chorused with imitative polyphony and chordal harmonies, da capo arias, independent instrumental pieces, solo ensembles, and recitative like style of text setting. The opera was performed with a 40 instrument orchestra, there is never a point when all of the instruments play at once. The instrumentation was mostly left to the director, however Monteverdi specified instrumentation in certain parts. This is the first time that a composer has specified instrumentation. The most remarkable feature of Orfeo is its deliberate attempt to establish an overall design. This can be seen in Act I where the solos, ensembles, choruses, and instrumental ritornellos form two ABA …show more content…
He was ordered back to Mantua but this time he refused to go. He eventually did return, but hated the Gonzaga court after that, he claimed that he was overworked and underpaid. Through this period of depression Monteverdi continued to compose, and these new compositions reflected the depression he was feeling. He composed a madrigal that reflected his feeling about the death of the primma donna, which was published in his sixth madrigal book. In this sixth madrigal book, there is even more dissonance than in earlier books. HE wrote some church music at this time, including a mass in the old style, and music for the vespers. Monteverdi’s mass was a remarkable achievement for him. It represented a deliberate attempt to show that polyphonic idiom was still possible, though it was dying in other places. Even more remarkable was the vespers music, because it was more or less a collection of all the modern styles at one time. This is where we begin to see Monteverdi merging old style with new ideas, effectively making the transition from renaissance to