Museo della Musica - The First of the Madrigals

In the 17th century, being a female musician was fraught with challenges. Accused of being a courtesan, the renowned singer and composer Barbara Strozzi wrote the following in the dedication to her "Primo Libro de Madrigali": "As a woman, I dare to bring this, my first work, to light. Therefore, I must, by reason, consecrate it to the most august name of Your Highness, so that under an Oak of gold it may remain secure from the lightning bolts of malicious gossip". (Coll. BB.366)