Monteverdi’s Fourth Book of Madrigals (1603)

Sunday, May 17, 2026 1-4pm
Grace Memorial Episcopal

Claudio Monteverdi’s fourth book of madrigals, published in 1603, contains madrigals written between 1592-1602. It is dedicated to a literary society in Ferrara and represents the style of music in vogue at courts and private households in Mantua and Ferrara, where a small group of virtuoso singers would perform for a select audience. We will explore five of the twenty madrigals from this collection and discuss the ways in which this music displays the composer’s avant garde approach to musical drama. Book four is when we see Monteverdi move beyond simple text painting and use harmonic freedom and melodic virtuosity to depict the emotional landscape of the poetry.