L'amante segreto

Born two generations later, Barbara Strozzi also contributed outstanding examples of the Italian madrigal to the repertoire. Barbara was the adopted daughter of one of the era’s leading poets, Giulio Strozzi, who played a key role in the success of early opera and was librettist for Monteverdi on at least one occasion. Raised in the highest artistic circles of Venice, Barbara’s early musical talents were cultivated and led to formal study with the famed opera composer Francesco Cavalli—quite a distinction for a young woman in mid-17th-century Italy. She achieved a place among the finest singers in all of Venice. From that experience Strozzi drew a deep understanding of musical nuance and psychology—especially the effect of performance on the listener—which she successfully transferred into her best madrigals.