Flourishing in Independence

Donald Macleod and Laurie Stras explore how Barbara Strozzi’s career as a composer flourished after the deaths of both her own father and the father of her children.

The singer, and composer Barbara Strozzi neither held any position at church or court, nor had a consistent patron, and yet she published eight volumes of her own music, and had more secular music in print than any other composer of the era. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod is joined by Professor Laurie Stras to explore the life of this extraordinary musician, and the world of 17th-century Venice in which she lived and worked. This was a world in which, despite the acknowledged successes of female artists in literature and music, being a successful composer seems to have aroused suspicion, and brought accusations of impropriety.

In Thursday’s episode, Donald Macleod and Laurie Stras explore how Barbara Strozzi’s career as a composer flourished, despite the deaths of both her own father, and of Giovanni Vidman - the father of her children.

Amante loquace, Op 6, No 16
Emoke Barath, soprano
Il Pomo d'Oro
Francesco Corti, director

Il Lamento - S’ul rodano severo, Op 3, No 3
Montserrat Figueras, soprano
Hespèrion XXI
Jordi Savall, conductor

Begl’occhi, Op 2, No 2
Musica Secreta
John Toll, harpsichord

Mater Anna, Op 5, No 1
Miho Kamiya, soprano
Anna Simboli, soprano
Andrea Arrivabene, alto
Aurata Fonte

O Maria, Op 5, No 7
Stéphanie d'Oustrac, mezzo-soprano
Ensemble Amarillis
Violaine Cochard, harpsichord, director

Tradimento, Op 7, No 9
Emanuela Galli, soprano
Ensemble Galilei
Paul Beier, conductor