Tradition and ‘Gusto Del Secolo’ in Claudio Monteverdi's Il Sesto Libro De' Madrigali

Claudio Monteverdi's removal to Venice in the autumn of 1613 marks a turning point in the composer's life and career. While employed by the Gonzaga at Mantua — as suonatore di vivuola from the early 1590s and as maestro della musica from 1602 until his dismissal from the court in 1612 — Monteverdi had achieved widespread recognition with the publication of three books of madrigals and with his first contributions to the new genre of opera. Even so, he had suffered financial hardship and an excessive workload, and was left feeling unappreciated by his employers. By contrast, as maestro di cappella at San Marco in Venice Monteverdi enjoyed financial stability, greater freedom and praise from his employers while he explored new avenues in musical composition. The point of intersection between these two opposites is Il sesto libra de' madrigali (1614), a publication little discussed in its entirety even by musicologists. Indeed, this book may be seen as Monteverdi's attempt to reconcile his Mantuan past with his Venetian present — a significant problem given the opposing cultural positions occupied by Mantua and Venice at the time. Although no testament exists to Monteverdi's views on the literature of his time, it is generally accepted today that contemporary literature and literary theory were crucial influences on Monteverdi's work and thought. It is within this critical environment that I will investigate Monteverdi's removal to Venice and his thoughts on tradition and innovation as they emerge from an analysis of Il sesto libra de' madrigali, with reference to a comparable and contemporary literary figure: Giambattista Marino

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• Was Monteverdi a Traitor

  Jonathan Glixon, Jonathan E Glixon•Music and Letters•1991

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