An homage to the Baroque singer and composer Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677), this album is titled "La voce sola". That final word, "single", "only" or "alone", points to the fact that most of Strozzi’s works are written for solo voice, usually her own, a fact that makes her music especially intimate and personal. It emphasises the uniqueness of her musical language and her distinctive voice as a composer but also refers to the difficulties of her striving alone in her personal and creative endeavours. This recital is a career survey of this great composer, from her first collections to her last opus, in chronological order, including a world-premiere recording of a work with no opus number.
Barbara Strozzi was born in Venice, the illegitimate daughter of Giulio Strozzi, who came from a powerful noble family, and his servant Isabella Griega. She was among the most prolific composers of secular chamber music at that time, established herself firmly in the history of music with her eight published collections of works, and contributed to the creation of a new genre, the cantata. Strozzi was a woman with a unique life story. She had to fight more than most for the right to compose music, could not hope to gain an official post as a composer because of her gender, and had to go against many social norms in order to become an independent artist in a male-dominated society. © Brilliant Classics