The feminine baroque
The feminine baroque
In the early 17th century, Italy witnessed a true flowering of female composers. Although some, like Isabella Leonarda, made their careers in the shadow of a convent, Italy was also home to the first established professional composers, such as Barbara Strozzi, a symbolic figure of Venetian musical genius, and Antonia Bembo, who was less known but just as fascinating to discover. At the same time, in France, artistic education and musical training for young girls from good families were essential, even if only in exceptional cases did they manage to become professionals. The most famous of these was undoubtedly Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, a protégée of King Louis XIV. The composer of one of the rare operas written by a woman and performed at the Paris Opéra, she left her mark on her century and was a source of inspiration for many of her colleagues, such as Françoise de Saint-Nectaire, Julie Pinel and Mademoiselle Duval. So many forgotten scores and charismatic personalities to discover...
PICTURES
©Julie Cherki
