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Donald Macleod looks at Monteverdi’s family and his love and devotion for them, bringing up his two boys single-handedly after the death of his wife Claudia.

Claudio Monteverdi’s compositions range from the secular to the sacred. He is a composer whose work spans the Renaissance and Baroque periods of musical history, and is known as a pioneer of the development of opera in Italy throughout the early 17th century. Throughout the week, Donald looks at five themes in Monteverdi’s life through the letters he wrote. Using Denis Stevens’ translations from the 1970s, we look at the excuses given by Monteverdi – a perpetually busy man – for not finishing compositions on time, the politics and hierarchy of life in the Italian Courts and Church, the financial struggles faced by Monteverdi, the illnesses that plagued his life and the lives of his close family and the importance of his family throughout his life.

Donald tells us a few stories detailing the importance Monteverdi placed on his family life, from mourning the death of his young wife to fighting a lawsuit surrounding his father-in-law’s property, to establishing his sons in their lifelong careers, and defending Massimiliano when he found himself the wrong side of the law.

Damigella tutta bella
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Nuria Rial, soprano
Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor
Jan van Elsacker, tenor
Cyril Auvity, tenor
Nicolas Achten, baritone
Joaõ Fernandez, bass
Christina Pluhar, director

L’Orfeo: Act V: Extracts
Nigel Robson, tenor (Apollo)
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor (Orfeo)
The Monteverdi Choir
The English Baroque Soloists
His Majesties Sagbutts & Cornetts
John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Tirsi e Clori
Le Nuove Musiche
Krijn Koetsveld, artistic leader
Jennifer van der Hart, soprano
Wendy Roobol, soprano
Hugo Naessens, alto
Falco van Loon, countertenor
Bas Ramselaar, bass

Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria: Act I: Extracts
Boston Baroque
Martin Pearlman, music director
Daniel Auchinloss, countertenor (Eumete)
Marc Molomot, tenor (Iro)
Fernando Guimarães, tenor (Ulisse)

Magnificat a 7
The Monteverdi Choir
The London Oratory Junior Choir
His Majesties Sagbutts & Cornetts
The English Baroque Soloists
John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Ann Monoyios, soprano
Marinella Pennicchi, soprano
Michael Chance, countertenor
Mark Tucker, tenor
Nigel Robson, tenor
Sandro Naglia, tenor
Bryn Terfel, bass
Alastair Miles, bass

Producer: Eleri Llian Rees