BaroqueBarbara Strozzi
Barbara Strozzi was born in Venice, the city of canals and gondolas, about four hundred years ago.
Barbara Strozzi’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1619👶 Birth
Baptised in Venice on 6 August
- 1630📚 Trainingage 11
Pupil of Francesco Cavalli, the future opera composer
- 1637🎩 Careerage 18
Sings at the Accademia degli Unisoni founded by her adoptive father Giulio Strozzi
- 1637🏛️ Landmarkage 18
Venice opens the first public opera house
- 1637🌍 Meanwhile
The first public opera house opens in Venice
- 1643🌍 Meanwhile
Louis XIV becomes King of France aged four
- 1644🎼 Workage 25
Op. 1: first book of madrigals
- 1651🎼 Workage 32
Op. 2: Cantate, ariette e duetti
- 1652❤️ Private lifeage 33
Death of Giulio Strozzi
- 1659🎼 Workage 40
Op. 7 Diporti di Euterpe, including ‘Lagrime mie’
- 1666🌍 Meanwhile
Great Fire of London
- 1669🌍 Meanwhile
The Royal Academy of Music (Paris Opera) is founded
- 1677🕯️ Deathage 58
Dies in Padua on 11 November
Listen to the music
Press the big button to listen. Close your eyes: how does it make you feel?
Excerpts of up to 90 seconds, freely licensed recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
Once upon a time…
Barbara Strozzi was born in Venice, the city of canals and gondolas, about four hundred years ago. Her adoptive dad was a poet who welcomed scholars and artists to his home.
Barbara had a magnificent voice. She sang for these guests and even suggested the topics of discussion: for a girl at that time, that was very bold!
She wrote her own songs, often sad or passionate love stories, for a single voice with accompaniment. She published eight books of music, more than almost any musician of her time.
She worked for no king and no church: she was a free, independent composer, which was very rare in her day.
Barbara Strozzi’s instruments
Tap an instrument to hear it!
Cards to flip
Are you an expert on Barbara Strozzi?
Answer the questions and win stars!
Same era · Baroque
1583 – 1643BaroqueGirolamo Frescobaldi
Girolamo Frescobaldi was born in Ferrara, Italy, more than four hundred years ago.
1585 – 1672BaroqueHeinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz was born in Germany more than four hundred years ago.
1587 – c. 1641BaroqueFrancesca Caccini
Francesca Caccini was born in Florence, Italy, more than four hundred years ago.
1632 – 1687BaroqueJean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully was born in Florence, Italy, the son of a miller.
1643 – 1704BaroqueMarc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier was born in Paris almost four hundred years ago, the year Louis XIV became king…
1653 – 1706BaroqueJohann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was born in Nuremberg, Germany, about three hundred and seventy years ago.