What is Carlo Gesualdo?
{{one source}} :''This article is about the composer; for the Italian town see [[Gesualdo]].'' [[Image:Gesualdo3.jpg|right|thumb|Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa.]] '''Carlo Gesualdo''', known as '''Gesualdo da Venosa''' (born probably 8 March 1566 – 8 September 1613), Prince of [[Venosa]] and Count of [[Conza]], was an [[Italy|Italian]] [[music]] [[composer]], [[lute]]nist and [[murderer]]. He lived in the late part of the [[Renaissance music|Renaissance]] period. He is famous for his beautifully expressive [[madrigal]]s which are written in a very [[chromatic]] style (using lots of [[note (music)|sharps and flats]]). He is also remembered for committing a horrible [[murder]]. == Life == Gesualdo came from an [[aristocratic]] family. He was probably born at Venosa, but we know hardly anything about his early life. We know that he was extremely interested in music when he was small and showed very little interest in anything else. He played the [[lute]], [[harpsichord]] and [[guitar]]. === The murders === In 1586, Gesualdo married his first cousin, Donna Maria d'Avalos, the daughter of the [[Marquis]] of [[Pescara]]. Two years later she began to have a love affair with Fabrizio Carafa, the Duke of [[Andria]]. For two years her husband knew nothing about her love affair. Then one day he returned unexpectedly to his [[palace]] (he may have suspected that something was happening) and found them making love. He murdered them both in their bed. He then left their bodies in front of the palace for everyone to see. In those days in Italy a nobleman could not be arrested and punished. However, someone might have wanted to kill him in [[revenge]], so he ran away to the town of [[Gesualdo]] where he had a castle. A lot of people heard about the murders. Famous poets such as [[Torquato Tasso|Tasso]] wrote poems about it. Nothing was done to arrest Gesualdo, however. Some people at the time said that he also murdered one of Maria’s babies because he thought he might not have been the father. Other people even said that he