Lucia Quinciani - Udite lagrimosi spirti d’Averno, udite | VBShowcase 2022

The fourth video in our 2022 VBShowcase series, celebrating the work of women composers of the baroque era, with performances by female musicians: Udite lagrimosi spirti d’Averno, udite by Lucia Quinciani Udite, lagrimosi spirti d’Averno, Udite nova sorte di pena e di tormento. Mirate crudo affetto In sembiante pietoso La mia donna crudel più de l’Inferno. Ye tortur’d spirits, hear, that in Avernus’ doleful regions dwell, Hear a new torment I endure; See under pity’s mask conceal’d A horrid kind of love. She I adore Loads me with greater sufferings still than your hell. ---- Sadly very little is known about the female, Italian composer Lucia Quinciani [ - ]. She is thought to have worked in Verona and Venice, based on the positions and location of her teacher. Quinciani was a pupil of the talented Marc’ Antonio Negri, whose second collection of monodies and duets titled Affetti amorosi (1611) included her only published composition. Udite, lagrimosi spirti d’Averno, udite is regarded to be the first monody published by a women. The text for Quinciani’s monody is the beginning six lines of Mirtillo’s famous lament from Battista Guarini’s Il Pastor Fido. This poem was very popular with composers at the time with Monteverdi, Marenzio and Schütz among the composers that set parts of it to music. This intimate monody is beautifully performed for our VBShowcase series by Karima El Demerdasch (mezzo-soprano) and Kristiina Watt (theorbo). Video & Audio: Ben Tomlin Productions