Books have now been written about the painter Artemisia Gentileschi (c.1597-1651 / 3) and there is even a film about this extraordinary woman. Perhaps one day the same will happen to her counterpart in music, the slightly younger Barbara Strozzi (1619-c.1677). This self-confident lady showed her independence by publishing her own compositions and raising four children without a husband. Strozzi was
… the adopted (but perhaps natural) daughter of the poet Giulio Strozzi, whose lyrics she would set to music. She was an excellent singer and the center of the academies organized by her father, where she not only performed other people's but also her own works. Her arias, lamento ' s and cantatas for solo voice and basso continuo (sometimes supplemented by two violins) prove that she had a perfect feeling for poetry. A selection of them can be heard on this CD in a performance by Musica Fiorita. The interpretation of the soprano Susanne Rydén sounds pleasant, but unfortunately lacks a certain drama. (CP) _more
