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.
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
Choir score
Item no.: 666941
Gesamtausgabe
for: 3 recorders (SST)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 418959
Für Blockflötenquintett (SSATB
for: 5 recorders (SSATB)
Set of parts
Item no.: 418663
Selva morale et spirituale
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella; organ ad lib.
Book (critical commentary)
Item no.: 423783
for: Brass quintet
Sheet music
Item no.: 1265800
aus: Selva morale et spirituale
SV 263
Urtext
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) [8 voices], 4 strings [brass winds], basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 666971
für Tenor, 2 Violinen und Basso continuo
aus: Selva morale et spirituale
SV 278
Urtext
for: Voice (high), 2 violins, basso continuo
2 Scores, Solo parts
Item no.: 664041
1.4 Ahi, che pur non risponde! (Lamento d’Arianna - Quarta parte)
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 1629686
4. Ecco, Silvio, colei che in odio hai tanto - Prima parte
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 1629517
8. Vattene pur, crudel, con quella pace - Prima parte
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629537
1. Non si levav’ancor l’alba novella - Prima parte
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629649
20. Ardi o gela a tua voglia - Risposta
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629529
Set of parts
Item no.: 1629430
from Madrigali. Libro VI, Venezia 1614
for: 5 Gesang (SSATB) und Basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 1629390
for: 3 saxophones
Score, Parts
Item no.: 331048
Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria
for: Voice (tenor), piano
Music score
Item no.: 755626
for: 5 Gesang (SSATB) und Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 446334
Score
Item no.: 446258
for: Voice, piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 770163
Score
Item no.: 366530
for: Alt solo, Gemischter Chor: SSATB, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1665075
for: 10 voices, orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1670719
for: Alt solo, Gemischter Chor: SSATB, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 115879
for: Brass Ensemble and Organ
Score, Parts
Item no.: 628514
for: SSATB
Score
Item no.: 1338202
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), SATB, 4, 8 Melodieinstrumente, Orgel, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1338196
for: Chor SSATBB, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1338192
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), SATB, Violinen (2), Posaunen (4) (Gamben (4) o Violen (3), Cello o Violen (2), Celli (2)), Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1337243
for: Mixed choir (SMezATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 851024
for: Voice
Score
Item no.: 361436
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 861131
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 138478
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 374292
for: Soprane solo (2), Alt solo (Alte solo (2)), Tenöre solo (3), Bässe solo (2), Gemischter Chor:SSATTB, Gemischte Chöre (2):SATTB, Zink (3), Violinen (3), Violen (3), Cello, Kontrabass, Flöten (2), Blockflöten (2), Posaunen (3), Bass-Posaune (tief), (Orgel, Basso continuo)
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 614410
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 170732
for: 1. Viola
Stimme, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 873368
Opera regia with a prologue and three acts
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Voices, string orchestra, basso continuo
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 692997
for: 5 Guitars
Score, Parts
Item no.: 610040
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 179929
O Cross Most Blessed
for: Mixed choir (SAB), piano
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1158177
aus: Selva morale et spirituale
SV 268
Urtext
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) [6 voices], 2 violins, basso continuo; instruments colla parte ad lib.
Piano reduction
Item no.: 662997
for: Chamber ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1127234
Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda
for: für 1, 2, 3, 6 oder 8 Singstimmen und Instrumente
Partitur
Item no.: 124509
2 Trompeten, Horn, Posaune & Tuba
for: Brass quintet
Sheet music
Item no.: 596995
Möseler Chorreihe
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 333965
Nr. 15 aus "Il quarto libro de madrigali"SV89
for: 5 Stimmen (SSATB) a cappella
Chorpartitur
Item no.: 142470
7. Che se tu se’ il cor mio - Seconda parte
for: SSATB Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 1629588