Monteverdi
The bridge from Renaissance madrigal to Baroque opera
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Who he was
Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) was born in Cremona and worked at the Mantua court and later at St Mark's in Venice. He wrote madrigals, sacred music and operas, most famously Orfeo (1607) and The Coronation of Poppea (1642).
His place
Monteverdi stands at the border of Renaissance and Baroque: his early madrigals still belong to the polyphonic tradition, but increasingly let the words govern the music. He formulated the "seconda pratica", arguing that expressing the text could justify breaking the old contrapuntal rules. The birth of opera is the result of that road.
What to hear
Listen first for the relation of words and music: dissonances, sudden pauses and changes of colour often match the accent and emotion of the text. Then hear drama: Monteverdi makes music act rather than decorate. Finally hear the alternation of polyphony and homophony: within one work he can move from many equal voices to a clear solo with accompaniment.
Key works
- Operas: Orfeo, The Coronation of Poppea
- Madrigals: Books 3, 4 and 5
- Sacred: Vespers of 1610
Influence
After Monteverdi, opera became one of the central genres of Western music; his seconda pratica also prepared the way for Baroque expression. He ended the Renaissance madrigal and opened the Baroque door.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- 蒙特威尔第生平、曼图亚与威尼斯时期、牧歌与歌剧，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Monteverdi"；本文为原创表述
- 牧歌第三卷与 seconda pratica 的听点，参通行蒙特威尔第研究；实例 why 为本站听辨提示
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