Composer Profile: Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), Madrigalist and Assassin
The Tomb of Carlo Gesualdo in Naples
By Barry Lenson
Many well-regarded composers did rather more than simply write music. Alexander Borodin (1833-1877) was additionally a doctor and a scientist. Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), was each an exquisite composer and a grasp swordsman. After which we come to Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1566-1613), who was a outstanding composer and a assassin.
That’s proper, Gesualdo murdered each his spouse and her lover in 1590. In response to legend, he stabbed them to loss of life after discovering them collectively in mattress. Then he went proper again to writing a number of the most extraordinary madrigals of his age.
You’ll be able to hearken to a excellent recording of his final two books of madrigals – essentially the most astonishing and forward-looking of all his works – right here on Classical Archives. However earlier than you pay attention to those performances by Marco Longhini conducting Delitiae Musicae, right here is the story of Gesualdo’s outstanding life.
The Lifetime of Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa was an Italian composer, lutenist, and nobleman. He hailed from the noble Gesualdo household, which had acquired the principality of Venosa in Southern Italy in 1560 by a Papal bull. Born in Venosa, Carlo displayed an early ardour for music, devoting himself to the lute, harpsichord, and guitar.
After the loss of life of his older brother Luigi in 1584, Gesualdo turned Prince of Venosa. Abandoning any ecclesiastical or political aspirations, he targeted on music and composition. His compositions embrace madrigals, motets, and sacred works. His most well-known collections, E book 5 and Six of his madrigals, revealed collectively in 1611, show his distinctive harmonic language.
In 1586, Gesualdo married his first cousin, Donna Maria d’Avalos, they usually had a son. Nonetheless, Carlo’s life took a darkish flip when he found his spouse’s affair with a duke. Consumed by jealousy, Gesualdo murdered each his spouse and her lover in 1590. This surprising act earned him notoriety, however apparently no authorized penalties. Gesualdo’s mom was the niece of Pope Pius IV, which could have helped shield him from any penalties after he dedicated these double murders.
Why Ought to We Take heed to Gesualdo’s Music?
Given the truth that Gesualdo was a assassin and possibly a horrible human being, why ought to we hearken to his music in any respect? It’s as a result of his compositions exhibit a chromatic language that wouldn’t be heard once more till the late nineteenth century. Whereas many listeners hear similarities between his music and Beethoven’s late compositions and even the heightened chromaticism of Wagner, to me it foreshadows Schubert’s nonstructural use of concord so as to add shade. After which there’s the truth that Gesualdo’s madrigals are characterised by a novel and darkish emotional depth.
Evaluating Gesualdo to Claudio Monteverdi
If I had a half hour to dwell and I needed to choose between listening to music written by Gesualdo or Monteverdi, I might certainly hearken to Monteverdi, who was undoubtedly the higher composer of the 2. But when I had an hour to dwell, I might hearken to music written by each males.
They had been virtually direct contemporaries. Claudio Monteverdi was born first. He was baptized on Might 15, 1567, in Cremona. Gesualdo was in all probability born on March 30, 1566. So Monteverdi’s beginning predates Gesualdo by a couple of months.
Within the historical past of music, Monteverdi was much more essential. His monumental compositions, together with his astonishing choral Vespers of 1610, stand among the many biggest musical compositions ever written. Whereas Gesualdo’s music feels darkish and sinister, Monteverdi’s shines with the intense mild of humanism. After which there’s the truth that Monteverdi, alongside along with his Florentine contemporaries Jacopo Peri (composer, 1561-1633) and Ottavio Rinuccini (librettist, 1562-1621) invented opera. Gesualdo didn’t compose operas.
Monteverdi was a significant transitional determine between the Renaissance and Baroque durations who composed each secular and sacred works, together with madrigals, choral works, and operas. In distinction, Gesualdo excelled in shorter varieties, particularly madrigals. Gesualdo’s music is characterised by its chromaticism and excessive harmonic practices. His compositions characteristic intense dissonances and discover darkish emotional depths.
Monteverdi beloved dissonance too, however employed it extra sparingly, usually so as to add coloristic thrives to the textual content being sung. One other distinction is that of the 2 composers, Monteverdi was the higher grasp of counterpoint.
In Abstract . . .
Monteverdi’s music bridges the Renaissance and Baroque eras, whereas Gesualdo’s chromatic model and emotional depth set him aside as a composer who defied all conventions. Each composers left lasting legacies, and their distinct approaches proceed to captivate audiences right now.
Take heed to Gesualdo’s Madrigals E book 5 and E book Six on Classical Archives
We’re happy to give you an opportunity to hearken to a excellent Naxos recording of his final two books of madrigals – essentially the most astonishing and forward-looking of all his works – right here on Classical Archives. To pay attention, you should be a member of Classical Archives. In case you are not but a member, we invite you to affix now. Free 14-day trial memberships at the moment are accessible.
