Carlo Gesualdo

Carlo Gesualdo was an Italian nobleman and composer from the late Renaissance period, renowned for his highly expressive, complex musical style. He is especially famous for his madrigals—short, expressive vocal compositions—and for pushing musical boundaries with unusual harmonic choices. Gesualdo's life was marked by tragedy; he famously murdered his wife and her lover upon discovering their affair, which has contributed to his historical notoriety. His music reflects intense emotion and experimentation, making him one of the most intriguing figures in early Western music history.