Recently a composer being unmeritedly forgotten over the last centuries gains more and more back recognition within the musical world: Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677). This recording aims to emphasize the richness of forms and the af fected style of the vocal music of the Venetian master and thus to open it to a wider audience. A selection of her compositions consisting at all of eight collections marks the centre of this CD.

The title of the CD “Lagrime mie” (My tears) is taken from Strozzi’s opus 7 and is to be seen as representative for the dominant themes of her vocal compositions. Most of the texts composed by Strozzi deal with love and pain from love. Nearly the half of the poets’ names is unknown.

Each of the presented compositions of Strozzi’s illustrates, at which impressive level the artist was able to transport the complex dramatic and emotion of the used texts.

Strozzi’s work within this recording is accomplished by compositions of four other composers, to whom she may have listened to in Venice and thus may light up – within this frame – the artistic environment of the time and place.