When was Claudio Monteverdi born and where?
Claudio Monteverdi was baptised on the 15th of May 1567 in Cremona, in the church of SS Nazaro e Celso. He was the first child of the apothecary Baldassare Monteverdi and his first wife Maddalena.
Questions about Claudio Monteverdi
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was Monteverdi's earliest opera and is it still performed?
L'Orfeo, with a libretto by Alessandro Striggio, premiered in February and March 1607 at the court of Mantua. It is the earliest opera still widely performed today.
What is the seconda pratica that Monteverdi defended?
The seconda pratica was Monteverdi's term for a modern compositional style that prioritised the expression of the text over strict adherence to Renaissance polyphonic rules. His brother Giulio Cesare clarified in print that Monteverdi saw it as an evolution from the older prima pratica, not a rejection of it.
Where did Monteverdi work after leaving Mantua?
Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella at the basilica of San Marco in Venice in August 1613, a post he held until his death on the 29th of November 1643. He oversaw a choir of around 30 singers and six instrumentalists.
What happened to most of Monteverdi's compositions?
Much of Monteverdi's output has been lost, including most of his stage works. His surviving music includes nine books of madrigals, three complete operas, and large-scale sacred works such as the 1610 Vespro della Beata Vergine. Many lost manuscripts may have disappeared during the wars that struck Mantua in 1630.
When were Monteverdi's operas rediscovered and revived?
Serious revival began when the manuscript of L'incoronazione di Poppea was discovered in 1888 and that of Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria in 1904. Vincent d'Indy led staged productions: L'Orfeo in May 1911, L'incoronazione in February 1913, and Il ritorno in May 1925.