It is clear from the letter that was written
that Guesaldo was a true lover of music and quite capable of playing and
composing. He loved music so much that although it was not proper to call himself a musician because he was a
nobleman, he chose to identify as a musician defying convention.
The writer of the letter noted that Guesaldo did not wish for a night to pass without partaking in music, so when they could not find a
harpsichord in the entire city, he played the lute for an hour and a half.
It was clear that Guesaldo played well because the author alluded to it, but stopped short at proclaiming him to be skillful, instead preferring to let
"more refined ears" be the judge of Giuseppe's skill.
Guesaldo apparently loved to talk about
music. I loved how the author of the
letter described Guesaldo's passion for talking about music "at such lenghth that I have not heard so much
in a whole year."
Guesaldo was clearly a very passionate man.
This is evident not only from his music which was described as "full
of attitude" and extraordinary, but also from the fact that he murdered
his unfaithful wife along with her lover.
Anyone would be upset about having an unfaithful wife, but murdering
them both is kind of an extreme reaction.
This type of extreme behavior also seems to manifest itself in
Guesaldo's music which was described as
being taken to "unheard of extremes of dissonance and
chromaticism." It appears that Guesaldo's extreme personality was expressed in his music.
Guesaldo did not appear to be blund by conventional rules or social
graces. He apparently loved to hear
himself talk and didn't care that the author of the letter was
obviously a bit overhelmed. Power dynamics were clearly in play as Guesaldo was a nobleman, and the author of the letter didn't have a choice but to listen politely.
Guesaldo wore a
long overcoat which was noted to have been out of the ordinary, and he was obsessed
with music and hunting. I think if he
lived today, he would be a gothic musician, perhaps a musician who enjoys pushing the limits of convention and focusing on dark subject matter. He
clearly did not concern himself with proper table manners, proper dress, or
even proper behavior for a nobleman. He
was a man who liked to push the limits and do what pleased himself, even if
this was pushed the boundaries of his society.
In today's world, Guesaldi would be much freer to pursue his musical passion. He would most likely enjoy any controversy generated by his art, as controversy tends to elevate the status of the artist (particularly artists who actually have talent, and it's clear that he did), and artists are held in much higher regard today. Perhaps Guesaldo was born in the wrong century.
