Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) is an Italian composer, who is perhaps the most well-known composer to precede J.S Bach. Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore the wide world of Divino Claudio with Stretta Music today!
Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona in 1567, the same year Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina published the “Missa papae Marcelli”, a good example of the austere style imposed upon musicians by the Church at the time. Monteverdi was a pupil of Marc’Antonio Ingegneri, the choir master of Cremona Cathedral. His compositional talent was soon recognised, and at the age of 15 he published the “Sacrae cantiunculae”, compositions for three voices, at 16 the “Madrigali spirituali” and at 17 the “Canzonette”. In 1589, at the age of 22, he joined the Court of Mantua as a viola player, and in 1603 he became Maestro di Cappella. Ten years later, in 1613 he moved to Venice, to take up the same position at St. Mark’s Basilica, where he stayed until his death in 1643.
In Monteverdi’s “First Book of Madrigals” from 1587, one can already find progressive harmonic and melodic elements that break tradition, but it is his “Fifth Book of Madrigals” from 1605, that really marks the transition between the Renaissance and the Baroque periods. It was through his harmonic and melodic experimentation that Monteverdi coined the stile concitato, as seen in his famous “Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda” from 1624.
Divino Claudio, as Claudio Monteverdi is often referred to in Italy, is best known as the inventor of musical melodrama. Although he wrote at least 18 operas, only “L’Orfeo”, 1607, the aria “Lamento d’Arianna” from “L’Arianna”, 1608, “Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria”, 1640, and the “Incoronazione di Poppea”, 1643, have been preserved.
Interesting that Monteverdi chose to write “L’Orfeo” as one of his first theatrical works, the “Fable in Music” dedicated to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is said to be the first work in the history of music, and it is the same story that ends an era, namely with “Orpheus” by Gluck. According to Claudio Toscani, Orpheus is “the first real protagonist in the history of modern musical theatre”, and with him the history of opera really began.
Contemporary musicologists have devoted much attention to Monteverdi and his compositions. Gian Francesco Malipiero commissioned the publication of Opera Omnia to “spread the works of one of Italy’s true geniuses” and “to show once again how great manifestations of art always remain modern’.
The Monteverdi Festival takes place in Cremona every year, where the Fondazione Claudio Monteverdi, which is dedicated to the critical editions of his work, is located.
A fresh rose is regularly placed at the tomb of Claudio Monteverdi in the Basilica dei Frari di Venezia.
7. Non son in queste rive
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1204115
Lobgesang der Maria
for: Gemischter Chor: SSATTB
Choir score
Item no.: 879797
Marienvesper SV 206
Urtext
for: 7 soloists (SSATTBB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 635779
for: 3 Treble Voices
Score, Parts
Item no.: 931690
für gemischten Chor (SSATB) a cappella (Basso continuo ad lib)
for: Mixed choir (SSATB); basso continuo ad lib.
Choir book
Item no.: 662045
for: 2 voices (SS)
Item no.: 378402
for: 5 Stimmen (SSATB) a cappella
Chorpartitur
Item no.: 1135502
for: SSATB, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1338193
for: für 3 Blockflöten (S(A)AT) und/oder Stingstimmen ad lib.
Ensemble score
Item no.: 112979
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 859531
for: Chamber ensemble
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 992463
for: Women's choir [male choir] (3 voices)
Choir score
Item no.: 851095
for: Mixed choir (SMezATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850786
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), 2 violins, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 666519
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), 2 violins, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 666485
Score
Item no.: 446347
for: für 2-stimmigen Frauen- oder Kinderchor (SA), Blockflöten, Streicher und Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 133726
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 124513
for: SATB, opt Keyboard [Organ or Piano] or instruments
Choir score
Item no.: 900068
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1149072
for: Mixed choir (SATTB), basso continuo
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 680094
mit 30 Abbildungen und zahlreichen Notenbeispielen
Große Komponisten und ihre Zeit 20
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 1667893
for: 2-part Mixed, Keyboard, opt C or B-flat Instr, Cello/Bass Instr.
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 913419
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1041607
aus der Marienvesper
Instrumentierung für 12 Blechbläser
Gecko Verlag
for: Brass ensemble (12 parts)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1351580
Gesamtausgabe
for: für 1, 2, 3, 4 und 6 Stimmen und Instrumente
Partitur
Item no.: 188767
für Sopran solo, 2 Violinen, Instrumente ad libitum, Basso continuo
aus: Selva morale et spirituale
SV 277
Urtext
for: Voice (soprano), 2 violins, basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 663382
aus: Selva morale et spirituale
SV 263
Urtext
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) [8 voices], 4 strings [brass winds], basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 666969
für fünf Soli (SSTTB), gemischten Chor (SATB), zwei Violinen und Basso continuo (Instrumente ad lib)
aus: Selva morale et spirituale
SV 272
Urtext
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), instruments
Piano reduction
Item no.: 665329
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 113099
for: Brass quintet
Sheet music
Item no.: 1265841
"In Illo Tempore" à 6
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: Mixed choir (SSATBB) [6 voices] a cappella
Study score
Item no.: 392186
for: Brass band
Sheet music
Item no.: 1315814
for: Brass band
Sheet music
Item no.: 1315963
9. Fumia la pastorella - Prima parte
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629630
13. Tra mille fiamme e tra mille catene
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629530
3. A che tormi il ben mio
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629502
5. Baci soavi e cari
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629412
9. Ch’io t’ami, e t’ami più de la mia vita - Prima parte
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 1204121
5. Stracciami pur il core
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629713
for: Choir
Item no.: 1629496
(Venezia 1587)
Complete Madrigals 1
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 446429
Madrigali. Libro VIII (Venezia 1638) Vol. 1
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 366531
Madrigal aus Il secondo libro de madrigali
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 795665
for: Mixed choir (SAB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1339593
for: Soli, Chor SSATTB, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1337398
Score
Item no.: 1337388
for: SSATB, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1338198