Alessandro Striggio (The Younger)

Alessandro Striggio the Younger (c. 1573 – June 8, 1630) was an Italian librettist and court official best known for writing the libretto for Claudio Monteverdi’s groundbreaking opera L’Orfeo (1607), one of the earliest operas in history and widely regarded as the first operatic masterpiece. Striggio played a vital role in the early development of opera as a literary and dramatic form during the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque period.

Born in Mantua, Striggio was the son of Alessandro Striggio the Elder, a prominent composer of madrigals and court music. Growing up in a musical and literary household, the younger Striggio was well-positioned to participate in the flourishing arts scene of northern Italy. He served at the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua, where he worked closely with artists, musicians, and intellectuals associated with the emerging genre of opera.

Striggio’s libretto for L’Orfeo, written for the Carnival season of 1607, was commissioned by Prince Francesco Gonzaga and performed at the court of Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga. The text was modeled after classical pastoral dramas and drew inspiration from earlier works by Ottavio Rinuccini. Striggio’s adaptation of the Orpheus myth offered an emotionally resonant and dramatically structured narrative that allowed Monteverdi’s music to explore new expressive possibilities. The collaboration between Striggio and Monteverdi marked a turning point in musical history, fusing poetry, music, and theatrical spectacle in a way that would define opera for centuries to come.

In addition to his work on L’Orfeo, Striggio was active as a writer of court entertainments and was deeply involved in the intellectual and artistic life of Mantua. His understanding of dramatic structure, classical themes, and poetic language helped elevate the operatic libretto from a functional script to a sophisticated literary form.

Alessandro Striggio the Younger died in 1630, likely a victim of the plague that swept through northern Italy that year. Though his surviving body of work is limited, his libretto for L’Orfeo remains a foundational text in the history of opera, securing his legacy as a pioneer of the art form and a key figure in the cultural revolution of the early Baroque era.