Arianna in Rome

Besides the famous female composers of the 17th century, such as Francesca Caccini and Barbara Strozzi, and the leading singers (the "prime donne") who left their mark on the stages of opera houses, such as Anna Renzi and Giulia Masotti, we must also acknowledge the considerable number of excellent but largely unknown "virtuosi". Although they mostly lived in obscurity, as ladies-in-waiting to a queen, princess or noblewoman, they were highly skilled musicians who often served as an important source of inspiration for the famous composers of their time.

This recording, the result of a research project into the virtuosi who were active in 17th-century Rome, presents a selection of compositions that could well have formed part of their repertoire. Among these pieces is the famous Lamento d'Arianna, which has been preserved in a version in a contemporary Roman manuscript that Monteverdi most likely brought with him during his visit to the Papal City in the autumn of 1610.

With her solo debut, Carlotta Colombo, one of the most acclaimed singers of Italian Baroque music, pays tribute to the work of these extraordinary women, places them back at the center of their artistic environment and restores to them the recognition that was often denied them during their lifetime.