Claudio Monteverdi

1. Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi was an Italian composer of the late renaissance era.
a. He was born in Cremona, Italy in 1567 and baptised on 15
th
May 1567 (Britannica,
n.d.). During his childhood, he was taught by the Maestro di Capella, Marc Antonio
Ingegneri, of the Cathedral of Cremona, Italy (Redlich, H. F. Claudio Monteverdi: Life
and Work. London: Oxford University Press, 1952).
i. By the age of 18, Monteverdi had three publications, the first of which he
sent to be published at the printing house of Gardane in Venice when he
was 15.
ii. Monteverdi acknowledged Ingegneri as his teacher on the title page of his
first book of madrigals, Il Primo Libro de Madrigali, published in Venice in
1587. (CPDL, 6/10/13).
iii. Published nine books of madrigals between the years of 1587 and 1651.
Monteverdis books of madrigals one to six are labelled a cinque voici
(CPDL, 6/10/13).
b. The fifth book of madrigals that Monteverdi wrote, Il Quinto Libro de Madrigali a
Cinque Voici, published in 1605, is a landmark publication as it is marks the
transition from the Late Renaissance era to the Early Baroque era (Ringer, Mark.
Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of Claudio Monteverdi. Canada:
Amadeus Press, 2006.). This is somewhat presented by the introduction of a basso
continuo in the pieces (Ringer, Mark. Opera's First Master: The Musical Dramas of
Claudio Monteverdi. Canada: Amadeus Press, 2006).
c. Monteverdi worked at the court of Vincenzo I of Gonzaga in Mantua as a violist and
a singer. By 1602, he was the court conductor (Cayne, Bernard S., ed. Encyclopedia
Americana Deluxe Library Edition. Vol. 19. Danbury: Grolier Incorporated, 1990.).
i. Married the court singer, Claudia Catteneo in 1599.
ii. They had two sons and a daughter (Ringer, Mark. Opera's First Master: The
Musical Dramas of Claudio Monteverdi. Canada: Amadeus Press, 2006).
d. Moved to the Basilica di San Marco, in Venice around 1613 to work as a conductor.
He restored the lost musical standard of the choir and musicians, which had grown
poor due to poor management of finances (Redlich, H. F. Claudio Monteverdi: Life
and Work. London: Oxford University Press, 1952).
e. Became a priest in 1632, and died eleven years later, in 1642 (Marthaler, Benard L.,
ed. New Catholic Encyclopedia 2nd ed. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2003).
2. Lorfeo is an opera composed by Claudio Monteverdi in the transition period between late
Renaissance and early Baroque. It was composed in 1607 for a performance in carnival in
Mantua.
i. Was NOT the first opera! The first opera was Dafne, composed by Jacopo
Peri (JSTOR.org "Dafne", the First Opera. A Chronological Study). Written
for a smaller orchestra than Monteverdis later works.
ii. Is the earliest opera that is still performed on stage (Opera at Peabody,
n.d.).
iii. Was the first opera of its type (Baroque opera). This style of musical writing
was newly developed. The newly developed style included the use of a
continuo basso (Glover, pp. 13941).
3. Why was LOrfeo written?
a. Originally written to be performed to a small audience of wealthier people in a small
room (not on a stage). (Opera at Peabody, n.d).