One of the most famous and innovative composers of the Renaissance was Claudio Monteverdi. He started by writing pieces in older forms like Motets and Madrigals, but soon he wanted to expand is music so that he could tell a whole story through singing. Monteverdi set the story of Orpheus from Greek mythology in this new style- which he called a “dramma per musica” (“music drama”) - and it was a huge hit. Soon composers all over Italy, and around Europe, were writing these new musical plays, which came to be called Operas.

 

Among the things that were brand new in Monteverdi’s Operas was the fact that he created specific parts for each instrument in his orchestra that showed off their individual sounds, rather than just dividing them into high-sounding and low-sounding groups.  Many scholars consider Moneverdi’s music to be the bridge between Renaissance music and the newer “Baroque” music of Bach and Handel.

 

Monteverdi’s first music drama, Orfeo, was written in 1607, but it is still performed today.