May 15 - Claudio Monteverdi (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 15th may be found here: Claudio Monteverdi (2019) and Michael William Balfe (2020) 

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Claudio Monteverdi (bapt. 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was, by any measure, one of the greatest composers of all time.  We do not know his date of birth, however he was baptized on May 15th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opera History 101: Growing Pains

At the very beginning of things,

You may suffer some scratches and dings,

But starting the story

Is part of the glory,

Despite Fortune’s arrows and slings.

And so, at the start, Monteverdi,

Ignoring all peril, declared he

Was there to compose

New musical shows,

“This cat wasn’t ever a scaredy!”

If a cat, as we’re told, has nine lives,

A composer has one, and s/he strives

To fill their blank pages

With works for the ages, —-

Though they won’t ever know what survives.

A work that survived was L’Orfeo,

And fans will acknowledge that théy owe

A permanent debt

For the course that it set

On the lyrical stage.  Laus Deo!

 

 

 

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