Francesca Caccini (1587 – after 1641) was an Italian composer, singer, lutenist, poet, and music teacher. Her only surviving stage work, The Liberation of Ruggiero from the island of Alcina, is widely considered the oldest opera by a woman composer.
It is a comic opera in four scenes, first performed in 1625, with a libretto by Ferdinando Saracinelli based on Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso. It is the first opera written by a woman.
La liberazione di Ruggiero is written in the stile moderno, that is, the style of Claudio Monteverdi. It uses the new stile recitativo, as well as canzonettas. The opera’s orchestration calls for a lirone, and somewhat remarkably for the period the cast does not require a castrato. The piece is balanced towards higher voices, with six sopranos, two altos, seven tenors, and only one bass, as well as a trio of recorders. The sorceress Melissa, who also appears in male disguise, is presented in the key of C major. Alcina is an evil and sexual sorceress, whereas Melissa is good. Melissa fights to free Ruggiero from Alcina’s spells.
Performed by The Schulich School of Music of McGill University
Further information and libretto in Italian, English, German and French: https://booklets.idagio.com/886445891737.pdf
Image painting by Bartolomeo Veneto: Woman Playing a LuteFrancesca Caccini
