Claudio Monteverdi in early adulthood. Only one other authentic portrait of the composer survives, dating from his later years. Claudio Giovanni Monteverdi was born on May 15, 1567, in Cremona, a northern Italian city famed for its violin-making tradition and situated on the banks of the river Po. His father, Baldassare, worked initially as an apothecary and later trained as a physician, though financial stability always remained elusive. Monteverdi lost his mother at a young age, and his father remarried for a third time—an early encounter with loss and instability that would later resonate deeply in his music. Encouraged by his teacher, the music director of Cremona Cathedral, Monteverdi published his first work while still a child: a collection of sacred music for three voices. He remained in Cremona for several years, composing and publishing the madrigals that would establish his early reputation. In 1592, his life changed decisively when he moved to Mantua, ruled by the powerfu...
Exploring the World of Music, One Work at a Time.