Francesca Caccini (1587-1641) Italy
- andreachamizoalber
- Aug 31
- 1 min read
A member of the early Baroque period, Caccini worked at the Medici court as a teacher, singer, and composer. By 1614, she was the highest-paid musician at court for her musical virtuosity. Her only surviving theatrical work, La liberazione di Ruggiero, is considered the earliest opera by a female composer.
This is Ch'amor sio nudo, and the link to imslp to view and/or download the score
In 1618, Caccini published 36 duets for soprano and bass, resulting in a compendium of contemporary styles ranging from poignant laments with harmonic complexity, sacred songs in Italian and Latin, and even strophic songs about the joys and perils of romantic love. For most of these songs, Caccini used her own poetry.
La pastorella mia and the link to imslp to view the score.
The surviving scores reveal that Caccini took extraordinary care with the notation of her music, paying special attention to the relationship between the rhythm and the syllables of each word, the phrasing marked by slurs, and the precise notation of very long, fluid melodic melismas. This is Regina caeli laetare alleluia with its corresponding link to imslp.
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