Giulio Cesare Monteverdi

Who is Giulio Cesare Monteverdi?

Giulio Cesare Monteverdi was an Italian composer and organist; he was the younger brother of Claudio Monteverdi.

Giulio Cesare Monteverdi was born in Cremona where he was baptised on 31 January 1573. In 1600 he held the position of organist of Mantua Cathedral for a brief time. In August 1602 he served as a musician at the court of the Duke of Mantua. On 2 June 1608, during the wedding celebrations at the Mantuan court, he composed the music for the fourth intermedio, as part of a performance of Guarini's play L'Idropica. In 1609 Francesco Gonzaga appointed him maestro di cappella. In this position, he wrote his opera Il rapimento di Proserpina, on the occasion of the birthday of Francesco's wife. A performance was given at Casale Monferrato in 1611.

In 1612 he was dismissed, along with his brother and other artists, from the Gonzaga court. Later on he became organist of the principal church at Castelleone, near Crema. Yet again he was appointed maestro di cappella at the Salò cathedral. He died around 1630/31 in Salò, Lake Garda, possibly a victim to the plague.