Maddalena Casulana
Maddalena Casulana
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Maddalena Casulana (ca. 1535–ca. 1590) was the first woman to publish music under her own name and one of the first women to speak out publicly against the misogyny in sixteenth-century Italy. This book is the first comprehensive study dedicated to her and provides the first in-depth exploration of her life, work and music. Situating Casulana's pioneering contributions within the broader context of Renaissance music and gender history, the book reveals her as a key figure at the intersection of proto-feminist thought and early modern music. Through reconstructed madrigals, new archival research, and interdisciplinary analysis, this work will appeal to scholars of musicology, gender studies, and Renaissance history, as well as performers interested in reviving historically overlooked musical voices. Casulana's legacy speaks to both academic and contemporary audiences, making her an essential figure in the history of women in music.
- Offers an unprecedented and detailed examination of Casulana's contributions to Renaissance music and proto-feminism, revealing new perspectives on this hitherto understudied composer
- Sheds light on Casulana's life through newly discovered archival documents, offering readers a deeper understanding of her career and personal history
- Situated at the fascinating intersection of proto-feminist history and Madrigal studies
Reviews & endorsements
'Professor Deutsch's eagerly anticipated monograph on Maddalena Casulana is an essential addition to the literature on the sixteenth-century Italian madrigal, and a brilliant exposition of archival diligence and a fiercely focussed study of sixteenth-century philogynic culture. With a wealth of new biographical evidence, literary and harmonic analyses, translations, comparative tables, and musical examples, this book will undoubtedly inspire new scholarly and musical engagement with Casulana's oeuvre.' Laurie Stras, University of Southampton
'This biography is a remarkable achievement, offering a well-reasoned and original account of an important composer. Debunking the prevailing historiography with its recycling of familiar tropes, Deutsch turns what might have been a brief recitation of facts into a fascinating and insightful account of Casulana's world. The writing is direct and engaging, sophisticated and witty: a model for musicological research.' Jessie Ann Owens, Distinguished Professor of Music Emeritus University of California, Davis
Product details
- Published: December 2025
- Format: Hardback
- ISBN: 9781009569163
- Length: 314 pages
- Dimensions: 244 × 170 × 19 mm
- Weight: 0.739kg
- Availability: Available
Table of Contents
- Figures
- Music examples
- Tables
- Acknowledgement
- Abbreviations
- Note on musical prints and Italian poetic texts
- Introduction
- 1. Maddalena Mezari Detta Casulana Vicentina: who's who?
- 2. Casulana and Vicentino: the intersecting itineraries of two Vicentine musicians
- 3. 'To the illustrious and most excellent Signora Donna Isabella': entering the querelle des femmes
- 4. Lucrezia and the wildflower: the multiple personae of Casulana
- 5. 'The high gifts of intellect': Casulana at work
- 6. An exemplary woman
- Appendix: dedications signed by or addressed to Maddalena Casulana
- Bibliography
- Index.
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