Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677); ITA

Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677) was a Venetian singer and composer and one of the most prolific published composers of secular vocal music in seventeenth-century Italy. She was the adopted and probably illegitimate daughter of the poet Giulio Strozzi, who fostered her musical education and created an intellectual circle in which her abilities as singer and composer could flourish. Unlike many professional musicians of her time, she appears not to have held a regular court or church appointment.

Strozzi published eight collections of music, principally madrigals, arias, and cantatas for solo voice or small vocal forces with continuo. Her works include Lagrime mie, Che si può fare, and the sacred collection Sacri musicali affetti. Her music is notable for expressive word setting, flexible treatment of recitative and aria, and an intimate understanding of the singing voice.

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Read biography at allmusic.com.