Carlo Gesualdo's choral works were unique for the time around 1600, and it takes only a few measures to identify their distinct style. No other composer advanced the interpretation of the text in such a varied manner as Gesualdo, and none wrote harmonies that are so daring and of such incomparable freedom in all of music history. Beyond his musical contributions, Gesualdo's life itself reads like an adventure novel – another singular feature among composers of that era.