The Aleotti Mystery - EMS - 24.04.22

[ardcarp]

Vittoria and Raffaella Aleotti were nuns and composers - but were they one person or two? Mystery and music in late 16th-century Italy, with Lucie Skeaping.

Among the music rolling off the busy printing presses of Venice in 1593 was a book of madrigals by Vittoria Aleotti and a book of motets by Raffaella Aleotti, long thought to be her sister. But after 1593 the name of Vittoria vanishes from history, whereas Raffaella became a much-honoured figure in the musical life of her native Ferrara. Lucie Skeaping investigates their history with expert commentary from Candace Smith, and presents their motets and madrigals in performances by Smith's ensemble Cappella Artemisia and special new recordings by the BBC Singers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0016jvk

[ardcarp]

I am sure the BBC, quite rightly, has a policy to involve more women in every sort of historical sweep. There was no need even to think about that given the amazing quality of the music played and performed in this programme. Candace Smith, who has obviously devoted a large part of her academic career to music in religious houses in Italy, was firmly of the opinion, indeed absolutely sure, that Vittoria and Rafaella were one and the same. I wasn't totally convinced despite the arguments presented. Why not have two equally talented sisters in the same family? There was one quote which seemed to suggest just that.

The music in this programme performed by both Cappella Artemisia and a group from the BBC Singers was superb, I thought, and very much worth a listen.