A Great Composer

8 Pages 1962 Words

Claudio Monteverdi is a 16th, 17th Century composer who helped move music innew directions. Through his compositions, Monteverdi brought new composing techniques to the world, and helped change the, what was then, traditional genres, andmove them through his progressive writing style. Though first, Monteverdi’s life must be seen. Knowing were a person has been can greatly help someone, especially an artist. Second, of Monteverdi’s works, his first five books of madrigals helped to bring in new changes to the music world. Therefore, to see the life, and section of works of a composer, Monteverdi is seen as a great progressive composer of his, and for all time.
Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona1, on May 15, 1567 and died in Venice on November 29, 1643(Boynick). Monteverdi studied with Ingegneri, maestro di cappella at the Cremona cathedral, and published several books of motets and madrigals
before 1591 (Boynick). While under Ingegneri, Monteverdi was groomed carefully, and seemed to have been held back before publishing to make sure of Monteverdi’s developing composing skills (Carter, Madrigals and arias 509).In 1591 Monteverdi left for Mantua to the court of the Duke Vincezo Gonzaga, there serving as a sting player in the court
(Boynick). Monteverdi studied under Giaches de Wert, the resident maestro di cappella while in Mantua (Boynick). Monteverdi then met and married Claudia de Cattaneis, a court singer. Claudia bore three children to Monteverdi. Monteverdi later became
maestro di cappella succeeding Pallavinco, whom succeeded Giaches (Boynick). To help
secure this position, Monteverdi wrote the Duke Gonzaga about this appointment citing
that he “...affectionately requested [ the position of maestro di cappella and sought out
with humility (Stevens 37). Monteverdi published his first opera Orfeo in Mantua in 1607,
followed by Arianna, which contracted remarkable reputation (Carter Lamenting Ariadne
395), i...