Carlo Gesualdo
By Kathleen Gorham
Biography
- Born in 1516
- Born and spent most of his life in Naples, at the country estate of Venosa
- Started playing the lute, harpsichord, and sang at a very young age
- His family supported him through his musical journey
- Carlo was the prince of Venosa and court of Conza
- Forgotten Composer
- Symbolizes individualism because he was alone after his wife left and showed that in his work and secularism because he wanted money
- Some pieces of his work: Mentre Madonna, and Danzan le Ninfe
- Carlo actually married his first cousin, Maria, and then murdered her
Carlo Gesualdo - Sesto libro di madrigali: II. Beltà, poi che t'assenti
The Work
- The name of the piece I selected is called Sesto libro di madrigali
- It was created in 1566
- There is very easy access to this piece, YouTube is a good site to find it
- This piece includes some of the finest singers of the time with voices of skill and clarity
- I find this song interesting because you can definitely tell the emotion he is portraying without even speaking the language it's sung in
Works Cited
"Carlo Gesualdo." Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. New York: Schirmer, 2001. Biography in Context. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Stevens, D. "Carlo Gesualdo." New Catholic Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Biography in Context. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.