Isabella Leonarda: Solo and Duo Motets, Trio Sonatas and a ‘Cantata Morale’
Isabella Leonarda (1620–1704) was a remarkable woman. At a time when female composers were a rarity, she was both prominent and prolific. Although she was cloistered (literally: she was a nun) in Novara in northern Italy, the dedications of her published compositions show her to have been extremely well connected. And her music demonstrates that she was well aware of the music of contemporaries like Carissimi and Corelli. These facts would be of merely historical importance, were her music not so engaging: although most of the works recorded here are devotional, they are full of buoyant rhythms, colourful textures and a surprisingly dramatic approach to the texts she was setting – many probably written by Leonarda herself.
Robert Crowe, soprano (Tracks 1, 9, 19, 31)
Sandra Röddiger, soprano (Tracks 9, 10, 24, 31)
Emanuele Breda, violin
Sofya Gandilyan, harpsichord
Barbara Mauch-Heinke, violin
Daniela Wartenberg, cello
Toshinori Ozaki, theorbo
Listen To This Recording:
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Recitativo]
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Aria]
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Recitativo]
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Aria]
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Aria]
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Recitativo]
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Aria]
- Quam dulcis es quam cara [Aria]
- Bonum est confiteri Domino
- Queste ch’a voi consagro – Cantata morale [Recitativo]
- Queste ch’a voi consagro – Cantata morale [Aria]
- Queste ch’a voi consagro – Cantata morale [Recitativo]
- Queste ch’a voi consagro – Cantata morale [Aria]
- Sonata prima: I Allegro
- Sonata prima: II Largo
- Sonata prima: III Adagio
- Sonata prima: IV Aria, allegro
- Sonata prima: V Vivace
- Ama mi Iesu care [Aria]
- Ama mi Iesu care [Recitativo]
- Ama mi Iesu care [Aria]
- Ama mi Iesu care [Recitativo]
- Ama mi Iesu care [Aria]
- Purpurei Flores [Aria]
- Purpurei Flores [Recitativo]
- Purpurei Flores [Aria]
- Sonata settima: I [Allegro moderato]
- Sonata settima: II Largo [Aria, allegro]
- Sonata settima: III [Allegro]
- Sonata settima: IV [Giga]
- Ad arma
Motetti a una, due, e tre voci, con violini, Mottetti a voce sola, Opera XV e senza, Opera XIII (1687)
Motetti a una, due, tre e quattro voci, Opera XX (1700) e alcuni con due violini, Opera VII (1677)
Mottetti a voce sola, Opera XV (1690)
Sonate a due violini, violone e organo, con una sonata a violino solo e organo, Opera XVI* (1693)
Mottetti a voce sola, Opera XV
Motetti a voce sola con strumenti, Opera XX (1700)
Sonate, Opera XVI *
Motetti, Opera XIII
ALL EXCEPT * FIRST RECORDINGS
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