Orfeo is marked by its dramatic power and lively orchestration. It is arguably the first example of a composer assigning specific instruments to parts. The plot is painted out in musical pictures and the melodies are linear and clear. With this opera Monteverdi had created an entirely new style of music, the dramma per musica, or musical drama.

Monteverdi's operas are usually labelled "pre-baroque" or "early-baroque".