Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Donald explores composer Claudio Monteverdi, one of the most important figures in the development of Western music.

As a composer of both secular and sacred music, over the course of his career he worked for court, church and was one of the key figures in the development of opera. Across this week of programmes, Donald Macleod tracks Monteverdi’s career across three cities, from promising child prodigy, through poverty and plague, to his final years in the priesthood, with huge artistic successes along the way.

Music Featured:

Toccata (Orfeo) Surge propera amica mea (Sacrae cantiunculae) O bone Iesu, illumine oculos meus (Sacrae cantiunculae) Surgens Iesu (Sacrae cantiunculae) Iusti tulerunt spolia impioru (Sacrae cantiunculae) Non si levav’ancor l’alba novella (2nd book of Madrigals) E dicea l'una sospirand'all'hora (2nd book of Madrigals) O come e gran martire (3rd book of Madrigals) O primavera (3rd book of Madrigals) Occhi, un tempo (3rd book of Madrigals) Rimanti in pace (3rd book of Madrigals) Questi vaghi concenti Vespro della Beata Vergine (Ave maris stella a 8) Zefiro torna e di soavi accenti Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda De la Bellezza le dovute lodi, SV 245 Anima mia, perdona (4th book of madrigals) Che se tu se il cor mio (4th book of madrigals) Cruda Amarilli (5th book of madrigals) Ah, dolente partita! (4th book of madrigals) Quel augellin che canta (4th book of madrigals) Pur ti miro (L’incoronazione di Poppea, Act 3 Sc 8) Orfeo (Act 5 : Final ritornello and Moresca) Orfeo (Act 3: excerpt) Lamento d’Arianna Missa da capella a sei voci “In illo tempore” (Kyrie and Gloria Il Ballo della Ingrate (Overture) Misero alceo, SV 114 (6th book of Madrigals) Zefiro torna, SV 108 (6th book of Madrigals) Presso un fiume tranquillo, SV 116 (6th book of Madrigals) Dixit Dominus (Vespers, 1610) Tirsi e Clori (7th book of Madrigals) Litanie della Beata Virgine, SV 204 Oblivion soave (L'incoronazione di Poppea, Act 2) Gloria a 7 (Selve morale e spirituale) Ardo avvampo, mi struggo, ardo, accorrete, Madrigali guerrieri, No 7 (8th book of Madrigals) Lamento della ninfa, Madrigali amorosi, No 9 (8th book of Madrigals) Torna, torna, deh torna Ulisse (Il ritorno d’Ulisse, Act 1 Sc 1) Beatus Vir

Presented by Donald Macleod

Produced by Sam Phillips

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0019knl

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z