Following are a few preliminary hints about his Monteverdi's music:
Languages: Most of the secular works are in Italian; sacred works are chiefly in Latin.
Forms: Although he was a skilled composer for instruments, Monteverdi was chiefly a composer of vocal music, of which his principal forms were:
Titles: Except for the operas, most of Monteverdi's compositions originally were published as parts of larger collections. In all, there were nine madrigal collections, and several additional collections with distinctive collection titles.
Uniform titles for individual madrigals begin with the form name.
Monteverdi, Claudio, 1567-1643.
Madrigals, book 3. O primavera
(The madrigal "O primavera" from the third madrigal book, here published separately)
Uniform titles of other works originally from collections begin with the distinctive title of the collection:
Monteverdi, Claudio, 1567-1643.
Scherzi musicali (1607). O Rosetta che Rosetta
(The partsong "O Rosetta" from the collection Scherzi musicali of 1607, here republished separately)
If you do not know the title of the original collection, or the particular book of madrigals in which a piece was first published, you can find it in lists of Monteverdi's works, such as the ones in The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians, or in K. Gary Adams and Dyke Kiel's Claudio Monteverdi : a guide to research (Garland Publications, 1989). A librarian can help you find and use these lists.
Cook Music Library