From the 17th century onwards, the Baroque revolutionised music-making, a style shaped not only by men but also by women who were often forgotten by music history. In three episodes, this series paints a musical portrait of eight of these pioneering, talented female composers and instrumentalists, who left behind a rich legacy of musical works, including Barbara Strozzi, Francesca Caccini and Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre.
Whilst male composers such as Monteverdi and Vivaldi were celebrated, women composers struggled for recognition or even the right to play an instrument at all. However, their music was revolutionary: they wrote operas, sonatas and cantatas full of passion and innovation. Maddalena Casulana, Casulana, Barbara Strozzi, Isabella Leonarda.
In 17th century Venice buzzing with artistic activity, it was difficult for a woman to make a name for herself as a composer. Access to musical education often came through seclusion from the world: in convents or institutions such as the famous Ospedale della Pietà, where Antonio Vivaldi was violin teacher. Behind these walls, female talent emerged whose legacy still resonates with us today…
Between the 17th and 18th centuries, Italian female composers sought to look further afield, to aim higher, and sometimes had to flee. The courts of Europe beckoned with opportunity…
