Orfeo!

First performed in the year 1607, Monteverdi's Orfeo is a great representation of not only 17th century music, but art, poetry and acting. While it was not truly the first opera ever written, it is one of the few that remains in modern repertoire. For its time it was unusual in few ways. 

To begin with... Instrumentation! Monteverdi used one of the largest ensembles to date (which can be seen in the video I attached). But don't be fooled. It is not very often that Monteverdi takes advantage of all of the instruments at once in the score and often limits sections to very small groups within the larger "orchestra." This screams extravagance. He used just about every instrument that had been invented at that point. Although public opera was just around the corner, Orfeo would have only been possible with a patron of extreme wealth, which Claudio had in Mantua.  It wasn't too long after this opera was performed that Monteverdi lost his job at the Mantua court. Maybe his employer had to fire him after he "busted the bank." 

Orfeo begins with an Aria sung by the Muse of Music. She helps tell the tragic story of Orpheus and Eurydice; their wedding, Eurydice' death, and Orpheus's painful attempt to get her back. It is deeply depressing and frustrating. Of course the storyline is not foreign to anyone who knows about Greek mythology but for those that don't... Orpheus enters the underworld to get his beloved back and would succeed if he can only walk out of the underworld without looking back. Much like Lots wife, the temptation is too great! He worries Plutone (god of the underworld) will change his mind He looks back and is doomed to never see Eurydice again. The story ends with Artemis taking Orpheus to the heavens and away from mortal life.  

The reception of Orfeo was wonderful and only boosted Monteverdi's already famous name (other than the haters like Artusi). The next year his opera L'Arianna would also premier in the courts of Mantua. Both of these composition exemplified his Seconda Practica which I brought up yesterday a bit. If Monteverdi can take credit for anything in music history, he set up the Baroque era. It would be hard to describe Monteverdi as anything other than "early baroque," even though he wrote a new manifest and helped free the next generations of composers. 

Now for a few last comments. I really think its important to also compare  the older works I'm studying to their modern counterparts. One of the largest differences I noticed while doing my research on Orfeo was the length and variety within the Libretto. The actual length is surprising for the almost 2 hour long opera. And the dialog is not varied in a lot of ways: unlike modern operas which go on for forever. Many of my opera friends complain about how their scripts come in two books because it can't be comfortably fit into one. 

Ultimately, Orfeo is the perfect example of what would later be known as opera seria or the aristocratic style of opera. But Monteverdi, even though he only wrote 5 operas, also contributed to the publicly funded opera buffa. The Crowning of Poppea, performed in 1642, is what I will attempt to get into in my next post! 

Side note: I respect that no one has time to just randomly watch a two hour opera like I posted above. But it is worth it to at least listen to the first five minutes and imagine sitting in the court of Mantua! Its a satisfying feeling :)

Claudio Monteverdi- The Basics

Alright, so here is the deal. I haven't written on my blog in some time, and perhaps I shouldn't even say "my blog" as I only ever published 15 posts but I'd like to give it another shot. In this round of attempts I will be a bit more focused and perhaps a bit less opinionated.

Here is the main reason: In the next few months I will be preparing my applications for different Musicology programs around the States(and one or two outside). I'll need to read too many books, study too many hours and write too many essays in hopes of being prepared. So why not include a few blog posts. With any luck, some of these blog posts will be me hashing out small ideas that will lead to bigger essays. So feel free to leave feedback. 

Not to compare myself to the great composers of the past, but just like the beginning of my humble blog, there was a beginning to opera as well. A few key characters, areas, and political ideas got the entire genre off to a start and it hasn't finished some 400 years later. One of those key characters was Italian born and bred, Claudio Monteverdi. He lived during the times of the Counter-Reformation, the castrati, and great artists like Michelangelo and Caravaggio(my two personal favorites). And just like these artists, Monteverdi experienced the same papal and aristocratic pressures. More often than not they were the paycheck. It wasn't until just before Monteverdi's death that an opera subsidized by the public was a possibility. The Crowing of Poppea, Monteverdi's last opera, was written for a public opera house. 

Before I get into Monteverdi's importance in opera I think it is important to set that stage (and apparently it is important enough to merit a bad pun). Here is what you need to know. There were two large chapters in Monteverdi's life(1567-1643): His time spent in Mantua as a composer who worked for local aristocracy and his time in Venice where he worked as a conductor in the San Marco Cathedral. He had a wife, who after giving him three children, passed away in 1607. He was highly religious throughout his lifetime and many of his compositions were written on Christian texts. 

During his life he published many books of madrigals and motets that were both loved and highly criticized. Like any artist who brought new ideas to the table, he was accused of breaking the perfect "rules" of music composition. Monteverdi writes in a letter that he "found no book that showed me the natural way of imitating the emotion." Strong words! You'd feel this way if Artusi had said your madrigals "might have been written by a child who was just beginning the study of counterpoint." In response to these harsh and undeserved comments, Claudio wrote his "Seconda Practica" which outlined his new ideas for harmonic motion. One of the chief and most recognizable changes he helped establish was the basso continuo. As a cellist I must tip my hat to Monteverdi for helping further any bass clef instrument. 

The last comment I have on Monteverdi's life that I think we never experience in todays society is the level he humbled himself to his superiors. It seems in the modern era most artists pride themselves on not being beholden to any higher power. Claudio didn't have this kind of freedom for most, if not all of his life. His letters are filled with "my illustrious Lord" and "your humble servant." Not only did he dedicate many of his works to different powers that be, but he often asked permission to compose music for certain librettos. This wasn't an uncommon practice but it seems unbelievable that even a composer of Monteverdi's standing was still at the whim of the noble class in Italy. 


Below are some great examples of Monteverdi's genius. The first link is to a Sestina which is a rather unpopular and complicated form poetry. Monteverdi works wonders on the six stanzas. This recording is a great representation. The second link is to Lamento d'Arianna, which Monteverdi himself said contained many of the new principles from his Seconda Practica. Enjoy! More from Monteverdi in the next few days!