WOMEN CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

This program presents some of the best arias, trios, and harpsichord concertos written by 18th-century women composers from Italy and Germany who had significant connections to German-speaking states.

Frederick the Great of Prussia, the flute-playing monarch, had a sister called Wilhelmine who became an accomplished lutenist and composer and married the flute-playing Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. Her harpsichord concerto still has the flavor of the empfindsam style developed in Prussia. Anna Bon, although born in Bologna, was commissioned to write some chamber divertimenti for the Margrave.

Maria Antonia Walpurgis became Electress of Saxony, then sang and played the harpsichord in her own vocal works produced at the court in Dresden, probably including the aria we perform from her opera Talestri, regina delle amazoni (Talestri, queen of the Amazons).

The Milan native Maria Teresa Agnesi was patron of the Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa, although her opera Ulisse in Campania, from which we present excerpts, was premiered in Naples. We also perform a lovely harpsichord concerto which she likely wrote.

Finally, Camilla de Rossi seems to have been from Rome, although all her oratorios were performed in Vienna. The aria which we are performing is from the Oratorio Santa Beatrice d’Este, commissioned by Emperor Joseph I. 

Ensamble:

Lina Sarmiento, soprano
Daniela Tosic, mezzo-soprano
Fausto Miro, tenor
Danilo Bonina, violin
Amelia Sie, violin
Hanbyeol Lee, harpsichord
Nathaniel Chase, bass
Laury Gutierrez, viola da gamba