Sfogave con le stele

History has rightly acclaimed Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) as one of the most significant composers of all time. So much of what transpired in subsequent centuries, especially in vocal music, would have been fundamentally different without Monteverdi’s contributions. He was the seminal figure in the transition from the massive polyphonic edifices of the Renaissance to the directed tonality of the Baroque. His innovations in harmony and dissonance treatment marked him as the prophet of a “new practice”; it also drew him into a prominent debate over the future of music. In essence, his greatness may be attributed to a careful respect for superlative poetry. It was Monteverdi who championed text expression and its emotive power over purely musical considerations of counterpoint and form. Sfogava con le stele is a five-voice madrigal from his fourth book, published in Venice in 1603.

(c) Jason Stell