Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Il

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Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Il (The combat of Tancred and Clorinda). Dramatic madrigal by Monteverdi to text by Tasso (verses 52–68 of Canto XII of Gerusalemme liberata). Prod. Venice (Palazza di Girolamo Mocenigo) 1624. Pub. 1638 in Madrigali guerrieri e amorosi. Monteverdi's description of f.p. shows that this could be claimed as early example of ‘music theatre’. A narrator comments upon the action, which is acted or danced by Tancred and Clorinda. A feature of the score is the earliest-known use of the str. tremolo, or stile concitato, to express excitement, and the str. pizzicato (but see pizzicato). Scoring is for 4 viols with contrabass and hpd.