Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Named after his uncle, who would eventually become Saint Charles Borromeo, Carlo Gesualdo was born 1566. His father was the Prince of Venosa, in the Kingdom of Naples.

From an early age he seemed uninterested in anything other than music, playing the lute, harpsichord, and guitar. His mother died when he was 7 and his uncle sent him to Rome to study for the priesthood. However, his older brother Luigi died in 1584, making Carlo next in line to become Prince of Venosa. He put aside the clerical training and married his cousin, Donna Maria d’Avalos, in 1586. They had a son, Emanuele.

In 1590, he caught his wife in the act of having an affair. He burst into the room, shot both her and her lover with an arquebus, stabbed them both multiple times, and slit their throats with a sword. After leaving, he returned and mutilated the bodies further to make sure they were dead. He then displayed the bodies publicly outside his family’s castle. Due to his influence as a nobleman, an investigation was held and concluded that Gesualdo had done nothing wrong.

The next year, his father died and he became Prince of Venosa. From this point on, he rarely ever left his castle, but used his new wealth and influence to surround himself with musicians to perform his own works. He published his First Book of Madrigals in 1594.

He married again that same year, this time to a noblewoman named Leonora d'Este. They had another son, Alfonsino, but he died in 1600 at the age of four. Soon, Leonora accused Gesualdo of abuse, leaving him and attempting to obtain a divorce. Gesualdo sank into depression. He ordered his servants to beat him daily, including while he was on the toilet, and he attempted to obtain his uncle’s skeleton, believing his personal holiness might have an effect on him. During this time, his compositional style became more erratic, often using chromatic harmonies that would not become popular until centuries later. Compositions from this time include additional books of madrigals, such as Moro, lasso, al mio duolo ("I am dying in my suffering"), as well as religious music, such as his Tenebrae factae sunt ("Shadows fell") and Miserere mei ("Have mercy upon me.")

In 1613, his son Emanuele died at the age of 27. Gesualdo died a few weeks later.