Barbara Strozzi
Barbara Strozzi | |
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Born | Barbara Valle 6 August 1619 |
Died | 11 November 1677 | (aged 58)
Occupations |
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Barbara Strozzi (also called Barbara Valle; baptised 6 August 1619 – 11 November 1677) was an Italian composer and singer of the Baroque Period. During her lifetime, Strozzi published eight volumes of her own music, and had more secular music in print than any other composer of the era.[1] This was achieved without support from the Church or consistent patronage from the nobility.
Personal life
Early life and childhood
Barbara Strozzi (at birth, Barbara Valle) was born in Venice in 1619 to a woman known as "La Greghetta" (in other sources she is also referred to as Isabella Griega or Isabella Garzoni).
More detailed accounts of Barbara's life concern the end of her childhood and early adolescence. Throughout her childhood, Venice had suffered
Later life, children and death
Little is known of Strozzi's life during the 1640s. However, it is assumed that she was the concubine of a Venetian nobleman, Giovanni Paolo Vidman. He was a patron of the arts and an associate of Giulio Strozzi.[8] Although Strozzi never married him (or anyone), the relationship led to three or,possibly four children. Vidman was the father of her son Giulio, then of two daughters, Isabella in 1642 and Laura in 1644, and possibly of a further son, Massimo. Her two daughters joined a convent and one of her sons became a monk.[9] A letter written after Strozzi's death reports she "was raped by Count Vidman, a Venetian nobleman. She had a son who also [that is, like her father] bears the name Giulio Strozzi." It has been suggested that the rape allegation may have been a story circulated to protect Strozzi's reputation, as she had children out of wedlock. However, there is evidence to suggest that she was coerced into the relationship.[8]
During this time, there were financial dealings between Strozzi and Vidman. It is believed that she gave him a loan that would have to be repaid after his death. The near 10% interest might have been a way of ensuring some support for Strozzi and her children after his death.
Strozzi died in Padua in 1677 aged 58. She is believed to have been buried at Eremitani.[10] She did not leave a will so, on her death, her son Giulio Pietro claimed her inheritance in full.[11]
Professional life
Life as a young musician
By her late teens, Strozzi had started to gain a reputation for her singing. In 1635 and 1636, two volumes of songs were published by Nicole Fontei, called the Bizzarrie poetiche (poetic oddities), full of praise for Strozzi's singing ability.[12] The performance experience that she had at Unisoni equipped her with the vocal expertise that also manifested itself in her later publications, signifying her compositional talent.
As a young musician, Strozzi sought out patronage, but was not always successful. Her
Professional career
Strozzi was said to be "the most prolific composer – man or woman – of printed secular vocal music in Venice in the middle of the [17th] century."[14] Her output is also unique in that it only contains secular vocal music, with the exception of one volume of sacred songs.[15] She was renowned for her poetic ability as well as her compositional talent. Her lyrics were often poetic and well-articulated.[16]
Compositional style
Like many of her contemporary composers, Strozzi mostly utilized texts from the poet Marino. These Marinist texts would serve as a vehicle to express herself as well as to challenge the gender roles of her time. Il primo libro di madrigali, per 2–5 voci e basso continuo, op. 1 (1644), was dedicated to Vittoria della Rovere, the Venetian-born Grand Duchess of Tuscany. The text is a poem by her father, Giulio Strozzi. Strozzi published one known work of religious pieces. Her opus 5, written in 1655, was dedicated to the Archduchess of Innsbruck, Anna de Medici. Her motet "Mater Anna" paid homage not only to the Catholic saint/mother of the virgin Mary but also to the archduchess. Strozzi was highly sensitive to the subliminal meaning in her texts, and, as is the case with Arcangela Tarabotti, the texts she set often hinted at underlying issues regarding gender.
Publications, recordings and performances
Publications
- Il primo libro di madrigali, per 2–5 voci e basso continuo, op. 1 (1644)
- Cantate, ariette e duetti, per 2 voci e basso continuo, op. 2 (1651)
- Cantate e ariette, per 1–3 voci e basso continuo, op. 3 (1654)
- Sacri musicali affetti, libro I, op. 5 (1655)
- Quis dabit mihi, mottetto per 3 voci (1656)
- Ariette a voce sola, op. 6 (1657)
- Diporti di Euterpe ovvero Cantate e ariette a voce sola, op. 7 (1659)
- Arie a voce sola, op. 8 (1664)
Recordings
There are numerous recordings. Some of them contained Barbara's works exclusively, others only indexed few pieces.
- Barbara Strozzi: La Virtuosissima Cantatrice (2011)[17]
- Barbara Strozzi: Ariette a voce sola, Op. 6 / Miroku, Rambaldi (2011)[18]
- Barbara Strozzi: Passioni, Vizi & Virtu / Belanger, Consort Baroque Laurentia (2014)[19]
- Barbara Strozzi: Opera Ottava, Arie & Cantate (2014)[20]
- Barbara Strozzi: Lagrime Mie (2015)[21]
- Due Alme Innamorate – Strozzi, etc / Ensemble Kairos (2006)[22]
- A Golden Treasury of Renaissance Music (2011)[23]
- Lamenti Barocchi Vol 3 / Vartolo, Capella Musicale Di San Petronio (2011)[24]
- Ferveur & Extase / Stephanie D'oustrac, Amarillis (2012)[25]
- La Bella Piu Bella: Songs from Early Baroque Italy (2014)[26]
- Dialoghi A Voce Sola (2015)[27]
- O Magnum Mysterium: Italian Baroque Vocal Music (2015)[28]
- Barbara Strozzi: La Voce Sola, Renata Dubinskaite (Mezzo Soprano) with Canto Fiorito (2021)[29]
Performances
With the flourishing of the historical performance movement, an increasing number of performances featuring Strozzi's works have been staged over the past few years.
- Chamber Music Foundation of New England, Music of Claudio Monteverdi & Barbara Strozzi (2017)[30]
- Early Music America's 2018 Emerging Artists Showcase during the Bloomington Early Music Festival. (2018)[31]
- Old First Concerts, Ensemble Draca performs Amante Fedele, August 12, 2018. (2018)[32]
- WWFM radio broadcast, Brooklyn Baroque Presents Barbara Strozzi and Her World (2018)[33]
See also
Citations
- ^ a b c d Beer 2016, p. 81
- ^ JSTOR 830997.
- ^ "Giulio Strozzi". Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
- ^ Glixon 1997.
- ^ "This is the amazing story of Baroque composer Barbara Strozzi". Classic FM. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Dr. Candace A Magner (5 May 2020). "Barbara Strozzi ❧ My life in 1600s Venice".
- ^ Magner, Candace (5 May 2020). "Barbara Strozzi — My life in 1600s Venice (A Brief History)". barbarastrozzi.com. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ a b Kendrick 2002.
- ^ Anna Cypess, Barbara Strozzi, Italian singer and composer at the Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^ Glixon 1999.
- ^ Glixon 1999, p. 141.
- ^ Beer 2016, p. [page needed].
- .
- ^ Glixon 1999, p. 135.
- ^ Heller 2006.
- ^ Glixon 1999, p. 138.
- ^ "Barbara Strozzi: La Virtuosissima Cantatrice – Saydisc: SAR061". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Barbara Strozzi: Ariette a voce sola, Op. 6 / Miro ... – Tactus: TC616901". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Barbara Strozzi: Passioni, Vizi & Virtu / Belanger ... – Stradivarius: STR33948". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Barbara Strozzi: Opera Ottava, Arie & Cantate – Glossa: GCDC81503". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Barbara Strozzi: Lagrime Mie – Querstand: VKJK 1303". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Due Alme Innamorate – Strozzi, etc / Ensemble Kairo ... – Urtext: UMA2020". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "A Golden Treasury of Renaissance Music – Saydisc: SAR065". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Lamenti Barocchi Vol 3 / Vartolo, Capella Musical ... – Naxos: 8503241". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Ferveur & Extase / Stephanie D'oustrac, Amarillis – Ambronay: AMY027". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "La Bella Piu Bella: Songs from Early Baroque Italy – Glossa: GCD922902". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Dialoghi A Voce Sola – Raum Klang: RK3306". arkivmusic.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "O Magnum Mysterium: Italian Baroque Vocal Music – Bergen Digital: 28907589". arkivmusic.com. Retrieved 29 September 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Brilliant Classics No. 96436
- YouTube
- YouTube
- YouTube
- YouTube
Sources
- ISBN 978-1-78074-856-6.
- Glixon, Beth L. (1997). "New light on the life and career of Barbara Strozzi". .
- Glixon, Beth L. (1999). "More on the life and death of Barbara Strozzi". The Musical Quarterly. 83 (1): 134–141. .
- Heller, Wendy (2006). "Usurping the place of the muses: Barbara Strozzi and the female composer in seventeenth-century Italy". In Stauffer, George B. (ed.). The World of Baroque Music: New Perspectives. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 145–168. ISBN 978-025334798-5.
- Kendrick, Robert (2002). "Intent and intertextuality in Barbara Strozzi's sacred music". Recercare. 14. Rivista per lo Studio e la Practica della Musica Antica: 65–98. JSTOR 41701379.
- ISBN 978-025201204-4.
Further reading
- Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (subscription required).
- Magner, Candace A. (2002). "Barbara Strozzi: a documentary perspective", Journal of Singing, 58/5.
- Mardinly, Susan J. (2002). "Barbara Strozzi: from madrigal to cantata", Journal of Singing, 58 (5) 375–391.
- Mardinly, Susan J. (2009). "A View of Barbara Strozzi", International Alliance for Women in Music Journal, 15 (2).
- Mardinly, Susan (2004). Barbara Strozzi and the pleasures of Euterpe, PhD Diss., University of Connecticut, 2004.
- Rosand, Ellen (1978). "Barbara Strozzi, virtuosissima cantatrice: the composer's voice", Journal of the American Musicological Society, 31, (2) 241–281.
- Schulenberg, David (2001). "Barbara Strozzi", Music of the Baroque, Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 110–115. ISBN 0-19-512232-1.
External links
- Free scores by Barbara Strozzi at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Free scores by Barbara Strozzi in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Biography, discography, bibliography, and complete list of her works, barbarastrozzi.com
- Recordings of Strozzi's work, ArkivMusic