Claudio Monteverdi

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CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI

•May 15, 1567 – Nov 29, 1643 (died age 76) •Baroque Italian composer •Bridge between old and new musical practice •Pioneer of opera EARLY LIFE Born in Cremona, Italy Child prodigy  Served as chorister under Marc Antonio Ingegneri at Cathedral in Cremona  Produced first music for publication by age 15 Took position as court musician in Mantua in 1590 for Gonzaga family  Began work as viola player and vocalist, promoted to conductor in 1602 Married court singer, Claudia de Cattaneis, in 1599 Two sons, Francesco and Massimiliano, and a daughter, Leonora (died in infancy) MUSICAL WORKS Madrigals Operas Some sacred music  Motets  Masses  Vespers MONTEVERDI AND THE MADRIGAL

 Madrigal: secular vocal work, 2-8 voices, a cappella, word-painting  9 books  Cultivated a new, innovative Baroque style  Irregular dissonances, bold sonorities, beginnings of functional tonality  Quinto Libro (5th book) became center of famous Monteverdi/Artusi Controversy  “Cruda Amarilli”  Music theorist, Giovanni Artusi attacks Monteverdi’s unusual practices Monteverdi’s response: division of musical practice—Prima pratica vs. Seconda pratica MONTEVERDI AND OPERA  Created first great masterpieces in this genre  Most operas not completed or lost  3 surviving operas:  L’Orfeo  Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria  L’incoronazione di Poppea  “Pur ti Miro” (Duet aria; Act III, scene 7) L’ORFEO •AKA La favola d'Orfeo •Librettist: Alessandro Striggio •Prologue and 5 Acts •First “great” modern opera, *but not first opera •Based on Greek legend of Orpheus’s descent to the underworld •Written for court performance during Carnival L’ORFEO (CONT.) •Monteverdi’s innovations: • Madrigal influences • Use of monody • Precedence of text over music • Dynamics • Quick tempo and harmonic changes • Shocking dissonances •“Tu se’ morta”, Recitative from Act II Sung by baritone, Florian Just • Orfeo learns of his bride, Euridice’s death • Dissonance represents mourning LATER YEARS •Duke Vincenzo died 1612, Monteverdi dismissed from court by Francesco, his successor •Appointed as maestro of basilica di San Marco in Venice • Trained court musicians, expanded repertoire •Age 65, entered priesthood •Died in Venice in 1643 ITALIAN TERMS •Basso continuo: (baroque music) “continued bass”; includes a bassline and harmonies played by a keyboard instrument •Libretto: “booklet”; the text of an opera or other long vocal work •Aria: “air”; a long, accompanied song for solo voice •Recitativo: “recitative”; narrative/dialogue parts of an opera sung to rhythm of ordinary speech •Maestro di capella: Master of choir/orchestra WORKS CITED http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.libproxy.furman.edu/grovemusic/view/10.1093 /gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e- 0000044352?rskey=qzP1BY&result=1 http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Claudio_Monteverdi https://courses.lumenlearning.com/musicapp_historical/chapter/claudio- monteverdi/ https://youtu.be/kEgLr-YVRvs https://youtu.be/Q_o1xDJyiOU https://youtu.be/6eA7aDYflc4