Monteverdi; Opera

And I live in cooperation with national education on his 100th anniversary a series of programs written and narrated by conductor and drinkin. And now. If we continue development of the magic that we must turn to comprise the only complete section of his production now extant and it is through them that we must seek for insight into his artistic evolution. They cover a period of over half a century extending from the early part compliments of 15th 84 when he was about 17 book of Marco's of 171. Tell us about the man but each of these two styles were limited to a certain period in his life and do not extend throughout as to the matter. A Madrigal is a

form of secular composition for two or more voices. The etymology of the term is still unclear. The form itself went through three periods of prominence and you patient of form from the 14th to the 17th century is the one that interests us here is the third period the most fascinating of them all of which the principal representatives were look I'm not in you know jazz or wild dove and I was up and last and most important of all plowed into the empty. To quote Groves dictionary in the third period the personality of the composer dominates the separate voices have to think their individuality in the organic whole. The magical is not the expression of a corporate body such as may be found in the church music of the period. The voices are skilled and sensitive servants of the composer not the instruments in the late quartet of Beethoven the magical becomes in fact a conscious and accomplished work of art. The creative on him was a lot of it is music is the poetic word and this but what a quare it is a point of departure for his path up the

mountain of personal expression and sob. We see this struggle first starting with the polyphonic magical which he had inherited from the Renaissance. First model they had to invent create construct a characteristic musical phrases as symbols for those affections of the soul of which we have already spoken to reflect human passions from the polyphonic to Mononoke magical but a natural course of development Renaissance polyphony had now both a continual because of the equality of all voices the struggle toward Monody entailed the recognition of the unifying force of the bouts of continual and the melding of the two opposing styles into the final form of the solo can totter with instrumental accompaniment such as a top which is found in the seventh book of The Magical. This search following the ideal of the poetic word that Malta there from the pastoral poetry of the Renaissance by the reconstruction of Greek drama as expounded by the Florentine coming to an individual style of expression which mirrored a unity of

music and poetry. Until then one dreamed up as in the exquisite oratory about a documentary to tank Lady Clarinda. There he has been called the last magical ace. This is no more true than the other equally improvised soubriquet of the first opera composer first or last is not always an honorific. He was not only a bridge from the past but an innovator as well. Where we proceed now in the discussion of the music please remember then dates are mentioned but they do not necessarily reflect the year of composition. All they tell us is the fact that the compositions. Any specific collection must have been written before that date. In the second book of madrigals published in 15 96 we find a powerfully expressive piece on a text by Torquato tosser. It is called Echo and is a tonal landscape painting. It is a point of departure for the struggle with the

Renaissance polyphony. But look at what happens already in the opening bars we hear the tenor singing of the murmuring of the waves the trembling of the leaves. What simple line is you. A handful of repeated notes for the placid waves a shimmering back and forth between two for the trampling of the leaves and under this line and the company of two other voices. Is this an echo of the tenor line. Is it a harmonic substructure. It is both. And in the function of the harmonic structure we have the first step toward continual writing in the thorough treatment of the tenor. We have a breakthrough toward Monody the ideas of 16th century polyphony have been cast down and a new bulletin has been lifted up in which individuality is subservient to the drive of a structurally harmonic base. The matter was built in three sections the impressionistic introduction speaking of details waves leaves trees birds the mist melts into the education of the morning.

The second. Calling them echo back and forth never having the light of the sun in the eye and the magical properties with an expansive and restful coda on a flow descending bass line did go to establish the relationship between natural events and the personal melancholy of the artist. The same year the composition of or fail 16 0 7 the first book

of Getty was a comedy or musical delight appeared here most of their they had incorporated the cantonment style which betrays the French style with which he became acquainted while on a journey to Flanders with the Duke of Mantua to this form. He has added instruments to a lute and bass the instrumental collections begin to take on a life of their own. Here now is a motto that its function is to provide entertainment for a sophisticated society. From here it is better step to be the queen of simplicity

but a complexity born of many years of experience in the ensuing year long hours of Cupid and the woman who makes him suffer from this get at 16. Now let us have a look at Mother Betty's harmonic invention the modern harmony

in the fort and the books of magical respectively sixty five was harshly attacked by motivating enemies is dissonances did not follow the long established laws of counterpoint but logically as an element of expression linked to the text. Please listen to a few bars particularly at the moment when the music underlines the text. You call this passage is one of the most remarkable in the whole literature of the early barrack. The age of 16 in titled madrigals of war and

love is the foundation of knowledge of secular vocal music the forms at times expand and become composite and break the bounds of a single composition. In putting one example pre-medical together we create a dramatic trilogy held together by a simple narrative in the work of the fable uncaught. We have the lament of a name jilted by her lover. The trio of male voices introduce and conclude the happenings as well as interjecting sympathetic and compassionate remarks during the din lament. Here is part of the opening that will listen to the painting on the word. The lament is over about so do not to a favorite device of mine to be

this one we have already met in his operas. It consists of four defending the Spanish. We have spoken of French influence on Malta in this case he was a county of 16 07.

A further French implement is to be found in the body to cool of which the shells on or the part about it a cool is a French equivalent of the Italian intermedia. It was also a forerunner of opera but while the Italians attempted to rediscover Greek drama through song recitation of an expressive nature the French sought the same answer in quantitative rhythm of texts back to spondee and so forth. The system which they called their late. About it because it was a combination of all of these factors given as an entertainment in which poetry music and the downs vied with each other giving preference to poetry. No organizational plotline was found necessary to use some of these French ideas in his so-called ballets particularly with reference to the music bit choral or instrumental of the song. In the day or the dance of the thankless ladies which appeared in print in the madrigals of love and

war although performed many years earlier at Mantua we find a set of dance music. The model is clearly that of the French contrasting dances. The pub and it was not uncommon for both dancers to have the same tune. One being a sort of variation on the other. But here I wanted it to give the contrast of class strain or strain. The first strain of the provider followed by the first strain of the God and the second of the five with that other guy. This dance is preceded by a moving duet between Venus and Mars the shades of Cork ladies who during their life on Earth spurned love. Also in the lab we find the oratory about

which was performed in 16 24 in the palace in Venice. It is written for three days. And the text is taken from Tasos. The company is written in what it called Country can't talk or excited by which he meant the orchid to want to depict the emotions of the actors. In order to gain the tricks introducing for the first time an effect of rapidly to passion the plucking of the strings to imitate the clash of battle and so forth. The performance was intended to be done when the music was being played. Here now is the style of most oratory it was drawn in battle the fight gets closer and closer. This.

Revolutionary stands among the greatest composers of all time. Not too long ago such a remark would have caused a good many raised eyebrows. But the facts are here for all to see and hear although much of his music is lost some of it may yet turn up in libraries and archives. What has come down to us through the centuries has proven to those who listen that he changed the course of music so that he could never be the same again. By the strength and force of his genius he found new methods forms and expression that make him the father a path there. Beethoven and Wagner. For without him it is most likely that music would have taken quite a different course. And cooperation with national educational radio has presented

to be on his 100th anniversary written and narrated by drinking. This programme was distributed by national educational radio the National Education already at work.