Meet Barbara Strozzi

Barbara Strozzi impacted western music not only by what she composed but who she was: a woman. During this time in the Baroque period, it was still very uncommon for women to participate in musical activities, let alone composition. “The career of Barbara Strozzi, born in Venice in 1619, transpired outside the confines of either a court or a convent” (Glixon 311). Although she received encouragement and support from her father, Giulio Strozzi, a writer, she did not have the benefit or assistance of a musical family. With all odds against her, Barbara Strozzi radically transformed western music during the Baroque period. “By any standard, Barbara Strozzi, a student of Francesco Cavalli, was one of the most successful women composers of the seventeenth century; indeed, she was the most prolific composer-man or woman-of printed secular vocal music in Venice around the middle of the century, with seven different publications, along with one of sacred music, issued between 1644 and 1664” (Glixon 311). Her accomplishments as a composer and performer are truly impressive, so why is it that she does not enjoy the acclaim of artists such as Henry Purcell and J.S. Bach? In this blog, I will explore the life and career of Barbara Strozzi and share the little known knowledge about this astounding composer.