ABSTRACT
Without doubt the Estense court exerted a strong attraction on composers of secular music. But before examining the influence that Marenzio's Ferrarese experiences had on his career, it is worthwhile to present a documented chronology of Luigi d'Este's movements in northern Italy. Marenzio's Ferrarese experience, which we can imagine to have been very stimulating for a young, ambitious musician, produced two madrigal publications in a short space of time, the first dedicated to Duke Alfonso d'Este, the second to his sister Lucrezia. The second 'Ferrarese' dedication is a slightly different case. The dedication of the second book a 5, addressed to Lucrezia d'Este, Duchess of Urbino, was signed in Rome on 25 October 1581. Instead, it is probable that we are dealing with an assemblage of his earliest Ferrarese madrigals, created during his personal experience of the concerto delle dame.
