Monteverdi His Life And Work

"The object of the present volume is to combine the story of Monteverdi's life with a critical study of his works. In spite of long and patient research in Italian archives, it has been possible to add here relatively little new material to the biography of the Master. On this subject, all that matters has been published long since. The investigations of Padre Caffi (1858), Padre Canal, S. Davari (1885), Angelo Solerti, Ademollo, Picenardi, and Emilio Vogel have provided documents which permit of a complete reconstitution of the life of the great musician, and it is in view of such a reconstitution that the author has considered Monteverdi as far as possible in relation to the artistic circle in which he moved, among the composers contemporary to him, and that the author has dwelt upon the life of the courts and cities in which Monteverdi's passionate life was lived, in which his talent was formed and matured." --Foreword.

A comprehensive edition of Monteverdi's letters which span the years 1601-43 and give an unrivalled picture of the composer's life in Mantua, Venice and Parma, his thoughts on the aesthetics of opera, his colleagues, and his own works. Extensive commentaries introduce each letter.

Claudio Monteverdi is one of the most important figures of 'early' music, a composer whose music speaks powerfully and directly to modern audiences. This book, first published in 2007, provides an authoritative treatment of Monteverdi and his music, complementing Paolo Fabbri's standard biography of the composer. Written by leading specialists in the field, it is aimed at students, performers and music-lovers in general and adds significantly to our understanding of Monteverdi's music, his life, and the contexts in which he worked. Chapters offering overviews of his output of sacred, secular and dramatic music are complemented by 'intermedi', in which contributors examine individual works, or sections of works in detail. The book draws extensively on Monteverdi's letters and includes a select discography/videography and a complete list of Monteverdi's works together with an index of first lines and titles.

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) is well known as the composer of the earliest operas still performed today. His Orfeo, Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria, and L'incoronazione di Poppea are internationally popular nearly four centuries after their creation. These seminal works represent only a part of Monteverdi's music for the stage, however. He also wrote numerous works that, while not operas, are no less theatrical in their fusion of music, drama and dance. This is a survey of Monteverdi's entire output of music for the theatre - his surviving operas, other dramatic musical compositions, and lost works.