From the Middle Ages through 1700s, the only "appropriate" outlet for female composers was within cloistered walls. Mostly it was composing sacred music for services within the convent.
Leonarda's talent, though, was more far-reaching. She didn't just compose short a capella hymns. She wrote all forms of sacred music from motets to masses. She wrote for instruments as well as voices.
And she wrote a lot. Leonarda's catalog has over 200 works in it. And a good deal of it was published during her lifetime.
The program for this release comprises almost exclusively of world recording premieres. There's a variety of music as well. Included are sacred motets from her Opus 13 collection, and a cantata. There's a selection of instrumental works, including two from her 1683 Opus 16 set.
These works are for modest forces. Just a few voices, with light accompaniment. The instrumental pieces are for three or four stringed instruments with a harpsichord.
The intimacy of this music draws in the listener. The sound is transparent, and the textures are light. For the sacred works, this adds an aura of quiet spirituality. For the instrumental pieces, it makes them sound like conversations between old friends.
If you're not familiar with Isabella Leonarda, start here. This release provides a good overview of her music. It showcases one of the major talents of the Baroque Era. Albeit one that still hasn't quite received her due.
Isabella Leonarda: Solo and Duo Motets; Trio Sonatas and a "Cantata Morale"
Robert Crowe, Sandra Röddiger, soprano
Emanuele Breda, Barbara Mauch-Heinke, violin; Daniela Wartenberg, cello; Toshinori Ozaki, theorbo; Sofya Gandilyan, harpsichord
Toccata Classics
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