Claudio Monteverdi Research Paper
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi is considered to be a revolutionary composer in the musical world, yet so much of his life is a mystery. Even though biographers have made many convincing speculations and correlations about the events of Monteverdi’s life, they cannot be considered completely factual (Redlich, Preface). Most biographies are comprised of legends and unauthorized assumptions (Redlich, 1-2). There are some aspects of his life that are known with certainty, and the most relied upon source for information on Monteverdi is a series of 121 letters from himself to various musicians, patrons, friends, etc (Redlich, Preface, 44). Monteverdi’s letters do provide great insight into his life, but the fact remains that the most important biographical documents and dates are missing (Redlich, 1-2). Even information on his ancestors and immediate family is sparse because most of them are unknown, the exact dates of his father and mother’s birth and death are even unknown (Redlich, 2-3). The most startling secret of Monteverdi’s existence is that his body is lost; his remains are known to be in a public tomb of the Chapel of Sant’ Ambrogio in the “dei Frari” Church, but no one can identify his remains from the remains of all the other people that were put to rest there (Molipiero, 386). …show more content…
These aspects of the song make Orpheus’s pain seem real; the odd rhythm, beat, meter, and phrase length make it sound as if Orpheus cannot contain his grief. This makes the song sound as if it were perfect at one time, technically, and now it is overcome with the pain of a lost love, so it is slightly off and does not sound completely correct or resolved. The song’s oddities may also symbolize Orpheus’s life without Eurydice, which is now slightly off and does not seem to be
Claudio Monteverdi is considered to be a revolutionary composer in the musical world, yet so much of his life is a mystery. Even though biographers have made many convincing speculations and correlations about the events of Monteverdi’s life, they cannot be considered completely factual (Redlich, Preface). Most biographies are comprised of legends and unauthorized assumptions (Redlich, 1-2). There are some aspects of his life that are known with certainty, and the most relied upon source for information on Monteverdi is a series of 121 letters from himself to various musicians, patrons, friends, etc (Redlich, Preface, 44). Monteverdi’s letters do provide great insight into his life, but the fact remains that the most important biographical documents and dates are missing (Redlich, 1-2). Even information on his ancestors and immediate family is sparse because most of them are unknown, the exact dates of his father and mother’s birth and death are even unknown (Redlich, 2-3). The most startling secret of Monteverdi’s existence is that his body is lost; his remains are known to be in a public tomb of the Chapel of Sant’ Ambrogio in the “dei Frari” Church, but no one can identify his remains from the remains of all the other people that were put to rest there (Molipiero, 386). …show more content…
These aspects of the song make Orpheus’s pain seem real; the odd rhythm, beat, meter, and phrase length make it sound as if Orpheus cannot contain his grief. This makes the song sound as if it were perfect at one time, technically, and now it is overcome with the pain of a lost love, so it is slightly off and does not sound completely correct or resolved. The song’s oddities may also symbolize Orpheus’s life without Eurydice, which is now slightly off and does not seem to be