Murder and Madrigals
One of the most famous madrigal composers of the Renaissance was the Italian composer Gesualdo. His fame more likely comes from the dubious honor of having been the only composer to date having committed murder, although his interest in composing love madrigals didn’t begin until after the episode (and no doubt contributed to it…). The unique hallmark of Gesualdo’s madrigal sound is his propensity for strange, almost bizarre harmonies. Some might call them demented…perhaps the story will help you understand. Here are the details, including excerpts from Cecil Gray’s 1926 book: Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, Musician and Murderer.

Ninety-Five Theses - Martin Luther
October 31, 1517 the face of Christianity would forever be changed. Martin Luther 95 Theses was more than a challenge to the Catholic Church. It was at its heart, a fundamentally different concept of the Faith and how Christianity should be practiced in a new age. Whereas Catholicism had a distinctive stamp of an earlier age upon it, Luther's expression of faith reflected a new age - a Renaissance in approach. Rather than taking a summation of this profound document, I invite you to read it yourself.