Claudio Monteverdi
Brief Chronology
At a glance: biographical information; publications
1567: Born in Cremona
Early teens, studies with Marc'Antonio Ingegneri
1582: Sacrae cantiunculae a 3
1583: Madrigali spirituali a 4
1584: Canzonette a 3
1587: Madrigals, Book 1
1590: Madrigals, Book 2
1590-91c: Hired as viol player at Gonzaga Court in Mantua. Influenced by Giaches de Wert, maestro di cappella
1592: Madrigals, Book 3
1599: Marries Claudia de Cattaneis
Travels with the Duke's retinue to Flanders (Spa)
1600: L'Artusi, ovvero delle imperfettioni della moderna musica (part 1)
1601: Monteverdi succeeds Pallavicino as maestro di cappella at Mantua
1603: Madrigals, Book 4
1605: Madrigals, Book 5, including the "Lettera" on the seconda prattica
1607: Scherzi musicali 1
Orfeo
Claudia dies
Late Fall, Rinuccini to Mantua to write the libretto of Arianna
1608: Late Winter, Caterina Martinelli dies (singer, Monteverdi's pupil and member of his household, was to sing the role of Arianna); Isabella Andreini, actress with the Compagnia dei Gelosi, poet, and playwright, replaces her as Arianna
Arianna, Il Ballo delle Ingrate
1608-09: Depression, disenchantement with Mantua; travels to Rome seeking employment at Vatican
1609: Orfeo published
1610: Missa ac Vesperae (Marian Vespers)
1613: Named Maestro di Cappella, St. Mark's, Venice
1614: Madrigals, Book 6
1616: Tirsi e Clori
[incomplete projects: Le nozze di Tetide, Andromeda]
1619: Concerto. Settimo libro de' madrigali ... con altri generi di canti (Madrigals, Book 7)
1620: Offer of employment from Mantua; indignant refusal
1623: Publication of the Lamento d'Arianna as a monody
1624: 1st peformance of Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda
Mid-1620s: incomplete project, La finta pazza
1627: Massimiliano arrested for censorship violations; trip to Parma for intermedii at Farnese court
1632: Scherzi musicali 2
1637: Public theaters open in Venice
1638: Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi (madrigals, Book 8)
1640: Revival of Arianna for the opening of the new Teatro S. Moise';
Selva morale e spirituale
Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria
1641: Le nozze di Enea in Lavinia
1643: L'incoronazione di Poppea
Visit to Cremona
Dies 29 November
1650: Messa et Salmi (op. posth)
1651: Madrigali e canzonette, libro nono (op. posth. madrigals, Book 9)
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Last updated: 16 January 2004