Can you recognize Monteverdi by ear?
Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) was an Italian composer who bridged the Renaissance and the Baroque, known for the opera L'Orfeo and the Vespers of 1610. In Guess the Composer, you hear up to 30 seconds of music and name the composer.
How to recognize Monteverdi
Listen for vocal lines that follow the rhythm and feeling of the words, often over a small group of plucked and keyboard instruments. Bold dissonances underline the emotion of the text, which sets the music apart from smoother Renaissance polyphony.
Who can Monteverdi be mistaken for?
Listeners may confuse this music with that of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina or Heinrich Schütz.
How hard is Monteverdi in the game?
The game has up to 10 excerpts by Monteverdi, depending on your country, and most are at the Medium level.
Pieces you may hear
- Sì dolce è'l tormento, SV 332
- Vespro della Beata Vergine, SV 206
- Adoramus te, Christe, SV 289
- Lamento d’Arianna, SV 22
- Letanie della Beata Vergine, SV 204
Portrait: Bernardo Strozzi, Public domain; background removed.
