San Francisco Bach Choir: Claudio Monteverdi

The Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi is one of those figures of music history whose works mark the beginning of a new era. Monteverdi’s contributions include his introduction and defense of the seconda practica, i.e., the new way of composing that put the meaning of the text as ruler over and motivation of the music (as opposed to the Renaissance prima practica where music ruled the words, that is m usic was set with considerable disregard of the meaning of the text), thus bringing about the style that would characterize the Baroque era. His major achievement lay in his penetrating expression of human psychology. His early madrigals can be considered as studies of emotions more varied and powerful than those of any other composer. His first opera, L’Orfeo, was the earliest to reveal the potential of this then novel genre, while his second, L’Arianna, may well have been responsible for its survival. Monteverdi was born in Cremona and worked for Vincenzo I of the Gonzaga in Mantua as maestro di capella from 1591 to his dismissal by Francisco Gonzaga in 1612. He then took what certainly amounted to the most prestigious post on the peninsula—maestro di capella at St. Mark’s in Venice, a position he held to his death.< /P>

Repertoire

Composers

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Vocal Works Performed by SFBC



		Repertoire Composers Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) The Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi is one of those figures of music history whose works mark the beginning of a new era. Monteverdi’s contributions include his introduction and defense of the seconda practica, i.e., the new way of composing that put the meaning of the text as ruler over and motivation of the music (as opposed to the Renaissance prima practica where music ruled the words, that is m usic was set with considerable disregard of the meaning of the text), thus bringing about the style that would characterize the Baroque era. His major achievement lay in his penetrating expression of human psychology. His early madrigals can be considered as studies of emotions more varied and powerful than those of any other composer. His first opera, L’Orfeo, was the earliest to reveal the potential of this then novel genre, while his second, L’Arianna, may well have been responsible for its survival. Monteverdi was born in Cremona and worked for Vincenzo I of the Gonzaga in Mantua as maestro di capella from 1591 to his dismissal by Francisco Gonzaga in 1612. He then took what certainly amounted to the most prestigious post on the peninsula—maestro di capella at St. Mark’s in Venice, a position he held to his death.< /P> Vocal Works Performed by SFBC Sonata sopra “Sancta Maria ora pro nobis”