This month we’re considering head-to-head match ups, starting with these 28 composers left as a comment in “10 Classical Music Composers Recommended by Charlie Martin”:

After Tuesday’s opening match-up pitting William Byrd vs Thomas Tallis, another of PJ Lifestyle’s classical music experts offered his suggestions for match-ups:

The first week of February we featured the Trombonist’s first head-to-head on Wednesday (Tchaikovsky Vs Rimsky-Koraskov), his second on Thursday (Brahms vs Wagner), and then Shostakovich Vs Prokofiev on Friday.

This week let’s explore more of the Trombonist’s “Tradition vs Revolution” matches: William Byrd Vs Carlo Gesualdo

Vs.

Interesting factoid via Wikipedia:

In 1586 Gesualdo married his first cousin, Donna Maria d’Avalos, the daughter of the Marquis of Pescara. Two years later she began a love affair with FabrizioCarafa, the Duke of Andria. Evidently, she was able to keep it secret from her husband for almost two years, even though the existence of the affair was well known elsewhere. Finally, on October 16, 1590, at the Palazzo San Severo in Naples, when Gesualdo had allegedly gone away on a hunting trip, the two lovers took insufficient precaution at last (Gesualdo had arranged with his servants to have keys to the locks of his palace copied in wood so that he could gain entrance if the doors were locked). Gesualdo returned to the palace, caught them in flagrante delicto and murdered them both in their bed. Afterward, he left their mutilated bodies in front of the palace for all to see. Being a nobleman he was immune from prosecution, but not to revenge, so he fled to his castle at Venosa where he would be safe from any of the relatives of either his wife or her lover.

Details on the murders are not lacking, as the depositions of witnesses to the magistrates have survived in full. While they disagree on some details, they agree on the principal points, and it is apparent that Gesualdo had help from his servants, who may have done most of the killing; however, Gesualdo certainly stabbed Maria multiple times, shouting as he did, “she’s not dead yet!” The Duke of Andria was found slaughtered by numerous deep sword wounds, as well as by a shot through the head. When he was found, he was dressed in women’s clothing (specifically, Maria’s night dress). His own clothing was found piled up by the bedside, unbloodied.

The murders were widely publicized, including in verse by poets such as Tasso and an entire flock of Neapolitan poets, eager to capitalize on the sensation. The salacious details of the murders were broadcast in print, but nothing was done to apprehend the Prince of Venosa. The police report^[4] from the scene makes for shocking reading even after more than four hundred years.

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Here are the previous recordings included so far in this feature. Please leave your suggestions in the comments, on twitter to @DaveSwindle, or via email: DaveSwindlePJM AT Gmail.com

28 Recommendations from Markham S. Pyle

William Byrd and Thomas Tallis

• Opening, 2 Masses for Four Voices: Which of These 28 Composers Should We Pit Head-To-Head First in February?

Aaron Copland

• Which Classical Composer Do You Like More: Copland Vs Barber?

Dvorak

• Mentor Vs Student: Who is the Better Composer, Brahms or Dvorak? 

Elgar

Holst

• Classical Music Combat: Elgar Vs. Holst (Reformed Trombonist match-up suggested)

The Reformed Trombonist’s Match-Up Suggestions:

Haydn Vs. Mozart

Shostakovich

• Today’s Classical Composer Competition: Shostakovich Vs Prokofiev, The 5th Symphony Challenge
• Composer Combat: Tchaikovsky Vs Rimsky-Koraskov

Brahms

• Composer Combat: Brahms the Traditionalist Vs Wagner the Revolutionary

Verdi

Rossini

• Classical Music Death Match: Verdi Vs. Rossini