There are few composers with such a colorful history as Carlo Gesualdo. Prince, master musician, oh . . . and double murderer. Just a detail. Of course we remember him, however, for the stark chromaticism of his writing and the deeply moving and often subtle (yes, subtle) ways in which he paints and underlines text. This month's clip is a good example.

Interestingly (well, to me, anyway!), a close examination of his works often reveals that the chromaticism itself is not so startling or overflowing (any more than, say, that of Brahms), but rather it is his prominent placing of the chromaticism -- often direct (i.e., through augmented primes), or through what we in the modern world would call a "root position" -- that is so striking. Enjoy!