Claudio Monteverdi

If one were to name the composer that bridges the gap between the Renaissance and the Baroque, it would likely be Claudio Monteverdi -- the same composer who is largely and frequently credited with making the cut in the first place. The path from his earliest canzonettas and madrigals to his latest operatic work exemplifies the shifts in musical thinking that took place in the last decades of the 16th century and the first few of the 17th. Monteverdi was born in Cremona, Italy on May 15, 1567. As a youth his musical talent was already evident: his first publication was issued...