Claudio Monteverdi (may 9, 1567 – nov 29, 1643)

Description:

"Classical music's first great dramatist." (classical-music.com)
Pioneer in the development of opera.

Notable works:
Multiple books of Madrigals.
Orfeo (1607)
L’incoronazione di Poppea (1643)

Monteverdi a strings player in Mantua. Both Mantua and Ferrara had specialist groups of female singers and this encouraged a change in the textures of madrigals.

Guarini's 'Il pastor fido' (play) inspired composers to experiment with dissonances. Thus, Monteverdi's ‘Cruda Amarilli’ (Cruel Amaryllis) from his Fifth Book of Madrigals.

The most famous works from his Mantuan period are the opera Orfeo (1607) and the Vespers (1610). Although opera had been invented in Florence around 1600, Monteverdi’s Orfeo is the first masterpiece in that genre.

Move to Venice. His eighth book of madrigals (last collection) contains a preface in which Monteverdi justifies his use of new styles of music – particularly the concitato (agitated, as seen in 'Combattimento' with repeated chords depicting the sounds of battle) and rappresentativo (representative, as seen in Lamento della ninfa with opportunities for dramatic response).

1637 came brought to first ever public opera house. Presented his masterpiece: L’incoronazione di Poppea (1643).

Added to timeline:

Date: