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Donald Macleod follows Monteverdi to a new city, and a new chapter in his life.

Claudio Monteverdi is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the development of Western music. As a composer of both secular and sacred music, over the course of his career he worked for court, church and was one of the key figures in the development of opera. Across this week of programmes, Donald Macleod tracks Monteverdi’s career across three cities, from promising child prodigy, through poverty and plague, to his final years in the priesthood, with huge artistic successes along the way.

In Thursday’s programme, Donald finds Monteverdi newly arrived in Venice, and discovering new challenges including trying to rejuvenate the city's largest musical ensemble. He also has to contend with accusations of treason, and a terrifying encounter with highway robbers. Rather surprisingly, we also find him renewing his ties with the Mantuan court.

Il Ballo della Ingrate – Overture
Les Arts Florissants
William Christie, conductor

6th book of Madrigals – Misero alceo, SV 114; Zefiro torna, SV 108; Presso un fiume tranquillo, SV 116
Il Nuove Musiche
Krijn Koetsveld, director

Vespers (1610) - Dixit Dominus
The Sixteen
Harry Christophers, director

7th book of Madrigals - Tirsi e Clori
I Fagiolini
Robert Hollingworth, director

Litanie della Beata Virgine, SV 204
Choir of Trinity College Cambridge
Richard Marlow, director

Produced by Sam Phillips