Carlo Gesualdo

Carlo Gesualdo's strength was his ability to combine musically a variety of unconventional strategies into the service of a deeply felt and psychologically effective whole. His style, once regarded as unique, helped to open an entire field of study relating to the avant-garde of the late 16th century, sometimes referred to by scholars as the "Mannerist Revolution." This movement vanished once Baroque style came to the forefront of music in Italy. However, he continued to influence composers well into the 20th century. Ernst Krenek stated that "If Gesualdo had been taken as ser...