Barbara Strozzi

Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) had the best fortune to be born into a world of creativity, intellectual ferment, and artistic freedom. She made a mark as a composer and singer, in the end publishing 8 collections of songs – a greater tune in print in the course of her lifetime than even the most well-known composers of her day – without the aid of the Church or the patronage of a noble residence.

She is occasionally credited with the genesis of a whole musical genre, the cantata. Her works were protected in critical collections of songs which located their way to the relaxation of Europe and England.

Yet she died in obscurity in Padua in 1677 with little wealth or assets.