After 400 years, the Fieri Consort reveal the newly-discovered madrigals of Maddalena Casulana alongside works by another of Italy’s greatest composers, Barbara Strozzi. In one of the most important discoveries of recent years, the lost alto part-book of Maddalena Casulana’s 1583 First Book of five-voice madrigals has been found by Prof Laurie Stras. Living at a time in which women’s creativity was often stifled, Casulana (1544-1590) and her compatriot Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677) were only too aware their music would be judged inferior to men’s. This recording presents Casulana’s madrigals as a fresh perspective on Strozzi’s works, celebrating both composers’ skill with words and music.
