Barbara Strozzi – Revenge

 1619-1677  Overcame many obstacles  Unmarried – had 4 children  Studied with Francesco Cavalli (composer, singer and Monteverdi’s pupil who later replaces Monteverdi at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice)  Sang at the Accademia degli Unisoni (founded 1638)  Adopted by Guilio Strozzi, but may have been his biological daughter  Grew up in a cultured family and attended meetings of poets and philosophers; women weren’t usually exposed to these  Published 8 volumes of music (~125 works) with no patronage or moral support: primarily secular works  Seconda prattica madrigals  “Lagrime Mie” L’Eraclito amoroso  Women composers were not generally appreciated during their lifetime

Female Musicians in the Baroque Era

1. Virtually no professional opportunities unless they worked in convent 2. Unfortunately very little changed for hundreds of years 3. Trained primarily as performers/virtuosos, not as composers (keyboard and vocal) 4. Most women did not have access to training in musical compositions. Exceptions: a. Barbara Strozzi b. Francesca Caccino c. Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre

Received training at home (musical family)

5. Women weren’t really accepted as composers (or conductors) until the 20th century!!!

Revenge

 “La Vendetta” in Italian  An “arietta” – little aria  Poetic text expresses a jilted lover’s thirst for revenge: energetic and extroverted music  Chamber Music o Meant to be performed in a small room at a private gathering of friends o Usually has 9 or fewer parts, one performer to a part  Increasing melodic ornamentation as the piece goes on  Soloist in Baroque era expected to ornament melodic lines  Similar to modern jazz  Homophonic texture A B A B A Duple Triple Duple Triple Duple  Form = contrasting sections – ABABA o First melody (A): lively duple meter; downward contour with short, quick notes – gives an anchor o Second melody (B): slower triple meter; upward contour with longer notes – provides contrast  Refrain: words in A melody are always the same; bringing back the same words with the melody at regular intervals  Violins echo the last phrase of each line of the text in the refrain – echoes the soprano part  The violins drop out in the B sections  Basso continuo supports the vocal line; introduces thematic material at the beginning of the B section  Trio sonata texture: three main voices o Two high instruments and the basso continuo

Other Baroque Composers of Chamber Music

 Arcangelo Corelli 1. Sonata – played vs. cantata – sung 2. Sonata de camera: chamber music for entertainment 3. Sonata de chiesa: church sonata  Johann Pachelbel 1. Canon and Gigue in D major. 3 violins and basso continuo; a very famous Baroque piece  Marin Marais 1. Much virtuoso music for viola da gamba (a precursor to the cello)