Claudio Monteverdi

Claudio Monteverdi (baptized 1567–1643) was an Italian composer born in Cremona whose work marks the transition from Renaissance to Baroque music. He published his first book of madrigals in 1587 and entered the Gonzaga court in Mantua around 1590, defending his innovative techniques as a seconda pratica.

His opera L'Orfeo was performed at Mantua in 1607. In 1613 he became maestro di cappella at St Mark's Basilica in Venice, holding the post until his death, and in old age wrote The Return of Ulysses and The Coronation of Poppea for Venetian theatres.