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’,...

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 emphasizes 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 endeavors. 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. Born in Venice, Strozzi was one of the greatest Italian composers of the 17th century and one of the first women to write music. Among the most prolific composers of secular chamber music at that time, she 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.

REVIEW:

Released as an “homage” to Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677), this disc is entitled La Voce Sola, a reference to the fact that most of Strozzi’s output is for the solo voice. Mezzo Renata Dubinskaitė, who is also artistic director of this project, has a miraculously pure voice that is capable of a huge variety of emotion.

By far the most extended piece on this disc is “Sino alla morte” (Until death), which at nearly a quarter of an hour allows total immersion in Strozzi’s world. Her expressive vocal lines are complemented by her skill in the continuo (partially thanks to Canto Fiorito’s realization, I am sure). There are some moments that are positively dizzying, and some moments where the music dances infectiously (Calveyra on recorder helps enormously here). A coda of sadness is offered by “Che si puo fare,” with a low recorder adding to the prevailing gloom. The powerful simplicity of the ending is perfect to close the disc.

These are superb performances throughout of music of infinite depth and emotion by a truly great composer. The recording is itself beautiful, as are the illustrations in the booklet (including a reproduction of the sole surviving portrait of Strozzi, by Bernardo Strozzi). The booklet notes, by Renata Dubinskaitė herself, give a fine overview of Strozzi’s life (and include a very useful list of relevant scholarly articles).

-- Fanfare