As a master of the chapel (choir master) Wert served a number of lesser courts in Italy until he came into the service of the Gonzaga court in Mantua where he is thought to have served between the years 1565 and 1592. He was also involved with the Este court at Ferrara when strong ties were developed between the two political and artistic centers. Wert composed over two hundred secular madrigals and approximately one hundred and fifty sacred works, motets, masses, et cetera. His abilities are clearly demonstrated in his use of counterpoint and contemporary style, with experiments in sensitive expression, the rhythms of speech and unusual intervals such as augmented seconds and leaps of a seventh. Within the context of the numerous madrigals, Wert set the poetic works of a number of prominent artists. Guarini's "Il pastor fido," Petrarch's "Canzoniere," and Tansillo's "D'un si bel foco" are important examples of Wert's literary sources. In his service to the Mantuan court Wert had a profound influence on the younger musicians such as Monteverdi and Pallavicino. ~ Keith Johnson