The Virtuosi of Ferrara: The Concerto delle Donne 1580-1601
The purpose of this thesis is to explore the history of the Ferrarese ensemble the Concerto delle Donne, as it relates to Luzzascho Luzzaschi's 1601 print 'Madrigali per cantare et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani'. The paper is laid out in three sections. In the first section, I briefly outline Estense patronage in Ferrara from 1393 to the court's dissolution in 1597, identify the Concerto delle Donne as a prominent ensemble developed by an Estense patron, and discuss the ensemble's purpose and personnel. Part two contains information pertaining directly to Luzzaschi's print from 1601. This includes brief biographies of Luzzasco Luzzaschi and Giovanni Battista Guarini, physical and musical characteristics of the print, and discussion of performance practice issues related to reproducing performances of the music. The final section is a modern edition of 'Madrigali per cantare et sonare a uno, e doi, e tre soprani', complete with editorial notes and English translations of the Italian poetry. Published May of 2017.