Biography
Claudio Monteverdi was born in 1567 in Cremona and stands at the beginning of opera history like hardly any other composer. His L'Orfeo of 1607 is considered the first completely preserved opera and marks the transition from Renaissance to Baroque. At the Gonzaga court in Mantua, Monteverdi developed the stile rappresentativo, which placed the emotional representation of human passions at the centre of music. His late Venetian operas Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'incoronazione di Poppea impress through psychological depth and theatrical effectiveness. As Kapellmeister at St Mark's Basilica in Venice, he shaped the musical life of the Serenissima for over three decades. Monteverdi's madrigal work spans the entire development from Renaissance polyphony to Baroque monody. He died in 1643 in Venice.
On Stagelog
Loading stats...