- composed in 1610 in Mantua
- for 10 voices and a variety of instruments
- virtuosic interplay of voices and instruments, brimming with variety
- moving solos that touch the heart
- Monteverdi transforms an ‘old-fashioned’ style into the most modern music
- dedicated to Pope Paul V with the (unsuccessful) aim of securing future employment
- a work full of quotes, including hits, such as the opening of Orfeo and the hymn Ave maris stella

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