Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered a crucial transitional figure between the Renaissance and Baroque periods of music history. May 25, 1567 – November 29, 1643; died at 76. Alive at the same time as William Shakespeare, René Descartes, Rembrandt, Blaise Pascal, and Elizabeth I of England. Wiki link