GRMUS T619 — Monteverdi, Tonality and the ‘Dramma Per Musica’

2 credits
Spring
Kendall Briggs

 

The evolution from modality to tonality, as ushered in by the musical experiments of the Florentine Camerata and others, gave inspiration to a variety of new and fresh approaches to composition. This course will explore the birth of tonality as it pertains to the seconda prattica through the study of Monteverdi’s madrigals and operas. Madrigalism and the emerging dramma per musica will also be explored in the works of his contemporaries along with a survey and discussion of Renaissance poetry and text setting. The course will focus on his Madrigals Books IV, V, and VIII, as well as his two most important drammi per musica, L’orfeo and L’incoronazione di Poppea.