The first operas were initially composed primarily for the carnival in Venice, the masterpieces of the cathedral conductor of San Marco, Claudio Monteverdi, for example, were composed for this time, as well as the operas of his somewhat younger contemporary Francesco Cavalli. During the carnival season, more than 60,000 people came to the lagoon city.
Humor also in classical music
Some works of classical music have a clear connection to carnival or carnival (e.g. Schumann’s “Faschingsschwank aus Wien”), other works refer to humor and thus achieve great freedom in formal design (Humoreske for piano, also by Robert Schumann ).
Of course, the theme of “joy” also exists in “serious music”, especially in sacred music. The Old Testament psalms in particular offer many opportunities to express man’s joy in God and his creation.
In the radio program of DOMRADIO.DE on Sunday evening from 8 p.m. examples of the musical combination of humor and carnival in supposedly serious classical or sacred music can be heard.
