Giulio Cesare Monteverdi

Giulio Cesare Monteverdi (* 1573 in Cremona , † 1630 / 31 in Salo ) was an Italian composer and organist . He was the younger brother of Claudio Monteverdi .

biography

Giulio Cesare Monteverdi was born in Cremona and baptized there on January 31, 1573. In 1600 he was organist at Mantua Cathedral for a few months . In 1602 he became a musician ( musico ) at the court of the Duke of Mantua and in 1609 was appointed Kapellmeister by Francesco Gonzaga . For the birthday celebrations of Francesco's wife Margaret of Savoy , he wrote the opera Il rapimento di Proserpina (“ The Rape of Persephone ”) to a libretto by Ercole Marigliani , which was performed in Casale Monferrato in 1611 (music not preserved).

In 1612 he was released from the Gonzaga court along with his brother and other artists . He then became organist at the main church of Castelleone and finally in 1620 again Kapellmeister at the cathedral of Salò . He died in the town on Lake Garda around 1630/31, probably as a victim of the plague .

The few musical works that have survived from him, including 25 motets , show certain influences from his brother. He acted as the editor of his brother's three-part Scherzi musicali (1607), in which he published two pieces. In this volume he also published a precise explanation ( dichiaratione ) of Claudio's comparison of the prima pratica and the seconda pratica , which Claudio had published in 1605 in the foreword of his 5th book of madrigals as a reaction to Arthur's attacks .

Web links

• Monteverdi, Giulio Cesare , Grove Music Online