Editing Claudio Monteverdi (section)

====Pause and priesthood: 1630–1637====
A series of disturbing events troubled Monteverdi's world in the period around 1630. [[War of the Mantuan Succession|Mantua was invaded by Habsburg armies]] in 1630, who besieged the [[1629–1631 Italian plague|plague-stricken town]], and after its fall in July looted its treasures, and dispersed the artistic community. The plague was carried to Mantua's ally Venice by an embassy led by Monteverdi's confidante Striggio, and over a period of 16 months led to over 45,000 deaths, leaving Venice's population in 1633 at just above 100,000, the lowest level for about 150 years. Among the plague victims was Monteverdi's assistant at San Marco, and a notable composer in his own right, [[Alessandro Grandi]]. The plague and the after-effects of war had an inevitable deleterious effect on the economy and artistic life of Venice.<ref>Norwich (1983), pp. 537–540</ref><ref name =Wenhamxx>Whenham (2007) "Chronology", p. xx</ref><ref name=Arnold617>Arnold (1980c), p. 617.</ref> Monteverdi's younger brother Giulio Cesare also died at this time, probably from the plague.<ref name = Ab534/>

By this time Monteverdi was in his sixties, and his rate of composition seems to have slowed down. He had written a setting of Strozzi's ''[[Lost operas by Claudio Monteverdi#Proserpina rapita (1630)|Proserpina rapita]] ([[Persephone#Abduction myth|The Abduction of Proserpina]])'', now lost except for one vocal trio, for a [[House of Mocenigo|Mocenigo]] wedding in 1630, and produced a Mass for deliverance from the plague for San Marco which was performed in November 1631. His set of ''Scherzi musicali'' was published in Venice in 1632.<ref name=Carter3 /> In 1631, Monteverdi was admitted to the [[tonsure]], and was ordained [[deacon]], and later [[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|priest]], in 1632. Although these ceremonies took place in Venice, he was nominated as a member of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Cremona|Diocese of Cremona]]; this may imply that he intended to retire there.<ref name=Wenhamxx /><ref name=Arnold617 />