ABSTRACT
A position of great responsibility such as that of maestro di cappella, which implied the capacities of both performing musician and composer, appears to suggest that Marenzio at the age of 20 was already a complete musician, suitably qualified. A letter of 1552 shows that Madruzzo was particularly interested in the 'messe rare' composed by the maestro di cappella of the duke of Ferrara, a sign of evident attention to sacred repertory. It is perhaps indicative that no madrigal print was ever dedicated to Madruzzo, while his former maestro di cappella Giovanni Contino addressed to him a book of motets in 1560 and one of masses in the following year. In Mantua – so far as one can hypothesize – Marenzio exercised the duties of an ordinary singer subject to the authority of the maestro di cappella, Giaches de Wert.
