Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi, (1567-1643). Italian composer. He: was born at Cremona and studied music in the cathedral there. From about 1591 to 1612 he was attached to the court of the dukes of Mantua, where he wrote his, first two operas. The first of these, Or feo (1607), is the first important opera ever written. Having been dismissed from Mantua, he lived in poverty until he was appointed musical director of St Mark’s, Venice (1613), where he remained until his death. In 1633 he became a priest. Four of his operas survive, the best known being The Coronation of Poppea (1642). He also wrote many madrigals and much sacred music, including the Vespers (1610).
