Please note: Listening Test 2 has been postponed to THURSDAY, 1 APRIL--thank you for your patience
Claudio Monteverdi
I: Biography and Context
1) Monteverdi and his times
Readings: Ossi, Divining the Oracle, 'Prologue'; Leopold, Music in Transition, chapter 6
Original from one of Monteverdi's letters
II: Madrigals, to 1605
Please note:
The Complete Works of Claudio Monteverdi, edited by Gian Francesco Malipiero, are available on Variations
Cremona
2) Student works
Readings: "Monteverdi and his teachers," in The New Monteverdi Companion (NMC)
Repertory: Sacrae cantiunculae, Canzonette a 3, Madrigali spirituali a 4--selections
3) The first book of madrigals (1587)
Readings: "Monteverdi and his teachers," (NMC)
Repertory: Ardo group; Baci soavi e cari (no recording available--score only)
4) The second book of madrigals (1590)
Readings: Tomlinson, Monteverdi and the End of the Renaissance, chapter 2
Repertory: Non si levav'ancor l'alba novella; Ecco mormorar l'onde; Crudel, perche' mi fuggi; Cantai un tempo
Mantua (and Ferrara)
5) The third book of madrigals (1592)
Readings: Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 3
Repertory: O primavera, gioventu dell'anno; Perfidissimo volto; Vivro fra i miei tormenti (all 3 sections)
6) Hiatus: 1592-1598
7) The dispute with Giovanni Maria Artusi
Readings: Ossi, Divining the Oracle, chapters 1 and 5; Palisca, "The Artusi-Monteverdi Controversy," in NMC
8) The fourth book of madrigals (1603)
Readings: Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 4; Ossi, Divining the Oracle, pp. 96-110
9) The fifth book of madrigals (1605)
Readings: Divining the Oracle, pp. 58-95; Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 5 to p. 131; Chafe, Monteverdi's Tonal Language, chapter 4
10) The Scherzi musicali of 1600-07
Readings: Ossi, Divining the Oracle, chapter 3 to p. 124
Repertory: O rosetta, che rossetta
III: Operas: Orfeo and Arianna
Sabbioneta (Mantua): Teatro all'antica
(built 1585 in imitation of a Classical theater)
11) Orfeo: genesis
Readings: Fabbri; Whenham, Orfeo; Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapters 1-3
12) Orfeo: structure
Readings: Ossi, Divining the Oracle, chapter 3, pp. 141-147; Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 5
Repertory: Orfeo, acts 1 and 2; act 3: Possente Spirto; act 4: Qual onor
13) Arianna: genesis
Readings: Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 5, p. 131 to the end; Carter
14) Arianna: the lament
Readings: Chafe, Monteverdi's Tonal Language, p. 164 to the end; Leopold, Music in Transition, chapter 4 to p. 139
Repertory: Lasciatemi morire (monodic version only); Arianna imitations
Venice
IV: Madrigals, 1608-1638
15) The sixth book of madrigals (1614)
Readings: Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 6
Repertory: Lasciatemi morire cycle; Zefiro torna; A Dio Florida bella; Misero Alceo; Ohime il bel viso
16) The seventh book of madrigals (1619)
Readings: Leopold, Music in Transition, chapter 2 and chapter 7; Ossi, Divining the Oracle, chapter 4 pp. 153-173; Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 7; Ossi, Eccomi pronta ai baci article
Repertory: Tempro la cetra; A quest'olmo a quest'ombre; Interrotte speranze; Vaga su spina ascosa; Eccomi pronta ai baci; Al lume delle stelle; Con che soavita; Mentre vaga angioletta; Ohime dov'e il mio ben; Chiome d'oro; Partenza amorosa
17) The Scherzi musicali ii (1632)
Readings: Ossi, Divining the Oracle, chapter 3 pp. 134-141, and "L'armonia raddoppiata" (e-reserves); Leopold, Music in Transition, chapter 3
Repertory: Zefiro torna; Eri gia tutta mia; Quel sguardo sdegnosetto; Maledetto sia l'aspetto
18) The eighth book of madrigals (1638)
Readings: Fabbri; Kurtzman on Or; Holzer; my article on Vaga (all on e-reserves); Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 8
Repertory: Altri canti d'Amor; Or che'l cielo; Ogni amante e guerrier; Gira il nemico; Ardo avvampo; Mentre vaga angioletta
19) The "ninth" book of madrigals (op. posth. 1650)
Readings: none
Repertory: Bel pastor
V: Operas after 1608
20) Theatrical and semi-theatrical works (in genere rappresentativo), 1608-1640
Readings: Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 4
a) Il ballo delle Ingrate (1608)
b) Tirsi e Clori (1616)
Readings: Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 6
c) other lost or incomplete projects
Readings: Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 8
d) Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (1624)
Readings: Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 7; Ossi, Divining the Oracle, chapter 6
e) La finta pazza Licori innamorata d'Aminta (1627)
Readings: Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 8 (review)
f) Lamento della ninfa ("Non avea Febo ancora--Amor, dicea--Si tra sdegnosi pianti")
Readings: Ossi, Divining the Oracle; Leopold, Music in Transition, chapter 3 p. 139 to the end
g) Introduzione al ballo e ballo ("Volgete al mio bel suon," 1636-38)
21) The Venetian "trilogy": Ulisse, Enea, and Poppea
22) Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria (1640; no recording available)
Readings: Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 9; Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 9
23) Le nozze di Enea in Lavinia (1641)
24) L'incoronazione di Poppea (1642)
Readings: Tomlinson, Monteverdi, chapter 9; Carter, Monteverdi's Musical Theater, chapter 10; Chafe, Monteverdi's Musical Language, chapters 14 and 15
MS of the opening page of L'incoronazione di Poppea
VI: Sacred Music
Readings: Leopold, Music in Transition, chapter 5; Whenham, Monteverdi: Vespers (1610); Kurtzman, The Monteverdi Vespers of 1610
26) St. Mark's; 1610-1640: motets for anthologies and other uncollected sacred works
27) Selva morale e spirituale (1640)
Readings: Fabbri; Ossi, Divining the Oracle, chapter 4 pp. 184-188
Repertory: O ciechi ciechi; Chi vol che m'innamori; E' questa vita un lampo; Gloria a 7 concertata; Beatus vir
28) Messa e salmi (op. posth. 1650)
Readings: Fabbri; Ossi, Divining the Oracle, 'Epilogue'
REPERTORY: Mass for 4 voices
Claudio Monteverdi's grave in the Basilica dei Frari, in Venice
This web page was created and is maintained by
Last updated: 15 January 2004