 right|thumb|carlo gesualdo, prince of venosa. carlo gesualdo (venosa, 8 march 1560 â gesualdo, 8 september 1613), also known as gesualdo da venosa (gesualdo from venosa), prince of venosa and count of conza, was an italian nobleman, lutenist, composer and murderer. as a composer of the late renaissance, he is remembered for writing intensely expressive madrigals and sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century. == biography == === early life === gesualdo's family had acquired the principality of venosa in 1560. his uncle was carlo borromeo, later saint charles borromeo. in addition, gesualdo's mother, girolama, was the niece of pope pius iv. most likely he was born at venosa, then part of the kingdom of naples, but little else is known about his early life. even the year of his birthâ1560 âis a matter of some dispute, though a recently discovered letter from his mother indicates he was probably born in that year.according to two letters (f-inf. 107 n. 185 e 108 n. 226) in the custody of the biblioteca ambrosiana in milan gesualdo had a musical relationship with pomponio nenna, though whether it was student to teacher, or colleague to colleague, is uncertain. regardless of this, however, he had a single-minded devotion to music from an early age, and showed little interest in anything else. in addition to the lute, he also played the harpsichord and guitar.newcomb, anthony. "carlo gesualdo and a musical correspondence of 1594" in the musical quarterly, october 1968, vol. liv no. 4 in addition to nenna, gesualdo's accademia included the composers giovanni de macque, scipione dentice, scipione stella, scipione lacorcia, ascanio mayone, and the nobleman lutenist ettorre de la marra. === 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 a love affair with fabrizio carafa, 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 h
1566_births 1613_deaths Italian_classical_composers Italian_murderers Madrigal_composers People_from_Venosa Renaissance_composers