Cremona Cathedral, where Monteverdi's teacher Ingegneri was maestro di capella
Portrait of Claudio Monteverdi, from the title page of Fiori poetici, a 1644 book of commemorative poems for his funeral
Letter from Monteverdi to Enzo Bentivoglio in Ferrara, 18 September 1627, (British Library, MS Mus. 1707), discussing the composer's intermezzo, Didone ed Enea
Monteverdi's tomb in the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
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(Book by Stevens, Denis (trans, intro))
Book by Stevens, Denis (trans, intro)
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Monteverdi was born in Cremona and baptized on May 15, 1567. His father, Baldassare Monteverdi, was a barber surgeon and an apothecary while his mother, Maddalena Monteverdi née Zignani, was the daughter of a goldsmith. Claudio was the eldest of his parents’ six children, having three brothers and two sisters.
It is most likely that Monteverdi became a choirboy at the local Cathedral and received his first musical training there. He was a pupil of the noted composer M. A. Ingegneri, the Cathedral's music director.
Claudio Monteverdi began his career in music early in his life. At the time of publication of "Sacrae cantiunculae", he was barely 15 years old. Thereafter, he continued writing and by the time he was 20, he had number of works, both religious and secular, in print.
In 1587, in order to secure the patronage of Marco Verita, the Count of Verona, Monteverdi dedicated his "First Book of Madrigals" to him; but it failed to achieve its objective. In the same year, he played "viola da braccio" for Giacomo Ricardi, the President of the Senate of Milan.
In 1589, he left Cremona to become a string player in the Court of Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga of Mantua. At that time, the Duke was trying to establish his court as a center for music, appointing noted musicians from across Europe as his court musicians.
It was an ideal place to learn and young Monteverdi greatly benefitted from such association, observing and later participating in the theatrical activities in the court.
In 1590, he had his "Second Book of Madrigals" published from Venice. He dedicated the work to Giacomo Ricardi of Milan, perhaps indicating he was still looking for permanent position. But soon after that, the situation became more stable.
By early 1590s, Monteverdi was able to establish his position at Mantua. When in 1592, he had "Third Book of Madrigals" published, he dedicated the work to the Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga. Thereafter for the next eleven years, he published very little. However, he continued to compose.
One reason for the lull in his publication could be that he was embittered to be passed over for the post of Maestro di capella in 1596. But there was no doubt that the Duke held him in high esteem; asking Monteverdi to accompany him on his visits abroad.
In 1595, Monteverdi accompanied the Duke on his military campaigns to Hungary. Once again in 1599, he was a part of the Duke’s entourage to Flanders, where he became acquainted with the French school of contemporary music. Later in 1600, he possibly accompanied the Duke on his trip to Florence.
In 1601, Benedetto Pallavicino, who had succeeded Giaches de Wert in 1596 as the maestro di capella, thus embittering Monteverdi, died. In 1602, 35 year old Monteverdi was appointed in his place. On finally achieving his goal, he once more started publishing his works
In 1603 and 1605, he published two more madrigals, both of which contained masterpieces. Although he still followed the meaning of the verse he often used intense and prolonged dissonance, which invited criticism from the more conservative musicians, chiefly Giovanni Maria Artusi, who attacked him in a series of pamphlets.
In 1606, Francesco, who would succeed Duke Vincenzo in 1612, commissioned him to write an opera to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio, for the Carnival season of 1607. Entitled, "La favola d'Orfeo", the opera was performed in February and March 1607, establishing him as a composer of large-scale music.
Also in 1607, he wrote his second opera, "L'Arianna", to a libretto of Ottavio Rinuccini for Francesco’s wedding to Margherita of Savoy, to be held in 1608. Concurrently, he wrote a ballet, "Il ballo delle ingrate" and composed the music for an intermezzo to a play.
The hard work affected his health and in 1608, he returned to Cremona, asking for an honorable dismissal. Increasingly poor remunerations were another reason for it. When his request was turned down and his remuneration was raised, he unwillingly returned to Mantua.
Once in Mantua, he started looking for alternative position; but unhappy that he was, he did not remain unproductive. However, his works during this period reflected his deep depression. Among his works during this period, most significant was "Vesperis in Festis Beata Mariae Vergine" (1610).
After the death of Duke Vincenzo on February 18, 1612, Monteverdi was dismissed by his successor Duke Francesco, partly because of court intrigues and partly because of cost-cutting. Thereafter, he returned to Cremona, almost penniless, looking for alternative position.
When in 1613, Giulio Cesare Martineng, the maestro at San Marco in Venice, passed away, Claudio Monteverdi auditioned for his post, submitting music for a Mass. He received appointment as maestro di capella at San Marco in August 1613 and immediately moved to Venice.
Although Monteverdi was not a church musician, he took up his duties seriously, completely revitalizing music at the basilica, which had been declining since 1609. He held regular choral services and hired best musicians.
He also wrote a lot of church music, which included among other pieces, two Masses, two Magnificats, a litany, dozens of psalm settings. In 1640, he published some of them in "Selva morale e spirituale" while the rest were published posthumously in 1650. Concurrently, he also continued to write secular music.
Claudio Monteverdi published his "Sixth Book of Madrigals" in 1614. It would be followed by two more books on Madrigals, to be published in 1619 and 1638 respectively. Meanwhile, he also renewed his contact with the Court at Mantua, writing a ballet "Tirsi e Clori", for Ferdinand of Mantua in 1616.
He also tried to write a few operas for the Court at Mantua, abandoning them in the midway. Instead, he concentrated on creating a practical philosophy of music, which found expression in his 1624 dramatic cantata, "Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda" and 1627 comic opera, whose score is now lost.
In 1630, plague broke out in Venice, leaving Monteverdi without commission. Sometime now, he decided to take the Holy Order, being admitted to the tonsure in 1631. In November, as the epidemic was declared over, he wrote a grand mass for the thanksgiving service at San Marco.
In 1632, he was ordained a deacon. In the same year, he published his second set of "Scherzi musicali", the first set being published in 1607, when he was maestro at Mantua.
Continuing to write both religious and secular music, he published a ballet entitled "Volgendo il ciel" in 1637 and "Eighth Book of Madrigals" in 1638.
"Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria", one of the surviving operas, was written for the carnival season of 1639-1640. Taken from the second half of Homer's Odyssey, the libretto was written by Giacomo Badoaro.
The other surviving opera, entitled "L'incoronazione di Poppea", was written for 1643 carnival. Written to the libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, it was one of the first operas to use historical events, describing how Emperor Nero’s mistress, Poppaea, became the crowned princess.
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi died on November 29, 1643, at the age of 76, in Venice. He was buried at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, also in Venice.
(Book by Stevens, Denis (trans, intro))
(CD)
Quotations:
"The end of all good music is to affect the soul."
"The modern composer builds upon the foundation of truth."
"Music is spiritual. The music business is not."
In 1599, Claudio Monteverdi married Claudia de Cattaneo, a singer at the Court of Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga of Mantua. They had three children.
