<P> Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (Italian: (ˈklaudjo monteˈverdi) (listen); 15 May 1567 (baptized)--29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, string player and choirmaster . 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 the Baroque periods of music history . </P> <P> Born in Cremona, where he undertook his first musical studies and compositions, Monteverdi developed his career first at the court of Mantua (c. 1590--1613) and then until his death in the Republic of Venice where he was maestro di capella at the basilica of San Marco . His surviving letters give insight into the life of a professional musician in Italy of the period, including problems of income, patronage and politics . </P>

Who was claudio monteverdi and when did he compose music
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