Isabella Leonarda facts for kids
Isabella Leonarda (born September 6, 1620 – died February 25, 1704) was an Italian composer from Novara. When she was 16, she joined the Collegio di Sant'Orsola, a Ursuline convent. She stayed there for the rest of her life. Leonarda is famous for the many musical pieces she wrote while at the convent. This made her one of the most active female composers of her time.
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Isabella Leonarda's Life Story
Isabella Leonarda was born on September 6, 1620. Her parents were Giannantonio Leonardi and Apollonia. The Leonardi family was old and important in Novara. Many family members were church leaders, city officials, and knights. Isabella's father was a lawyer and held the title of count.
In 1636, Leonarda joined the Sant'Orsola convent in Novara. Her family helped the convent a lot. Some people think this connection helped Isabella become important within the convent. She held many leadership roles there. These included madre (in 1676), superiora (in 1686), madre vicaria (in 1693), and consigliera (in 1700). Superiora was likely the highest position in the convent.
Leonarda was a highly respected composer in her hometown. However, her music was not very well known in other parts of Italy. Lazzaro Agostino Cotta called her la Musa novarese, meaning "the muse of Novara." He published a poem that praised her musical talent. Her published music covers 60 years. Her first known works were in 1640, and her last in 1700. Leonarda wrote almost 200 pieces during this time. It seems she was over 50 years old before she started composing and publishing regularly.
Her Work in Music
Leonarda was not widely known as a singer or someone who played instruments. Not much is known about her involvement in these activities. Still, she became famous as one of the most active convent composers of the Baroque era. She wrote about 200 compositions during her life.
Learning and Teaching Music
We don't know much about Leonarda's music education before she joined Sant'Orsola. However, many believe she had some training. This is because her family was wealthy and had a high social standing. Some also suggest she studied with Gasparo Casati (1610–1641) at the convent. Casati was a talented composer. He was the maestro di cappella (music director) at the Novara Cathedral from 1635 until he died. The only direct link between them is Casati's Terzo libro di sacri concenti. This book includes two early pieces by Leonarda.
In 1658, a document from the convent called her magistra musicae (music teacher). This suggests Leonarda taught other nuns how to perform music. This role might have also given her chances for the nuns to perform her own musical works.
Types of Compositions
Leonarda wrote almost every type of sacred music. These include motets and sacred concertos for one to four voices. She also wrote sacred Latin dialogues, psalm settings, responsories, Magnificats, litanies, masses, and sonate da chiesa. She also wrote music for solo instruments with continuo, choirs, and strings. Leonarda also wrote a few sacred solo songs with everyday Italian words. Her sonata da chiesa, Op. 16, was the first instrumental sonata published by a woman.
While Leonarda wrote many solo motets, her most important achievements came from her sonatas. She was the first woman to publish sonatas, and she wrote many throughout her life. For example, Sonatas 1 through 11 are for two violins, a violone, and an organ. Sonatas 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 are "concerted sonatas." This means each of the three instruments has at least one solo part. Sonata 12 is Leonarda's only solo sonata and one of her most famous pieces. It has seven sections. Two slow movements are like a recitative, which means they invite improvised embellishments.
Her Musical Style
In early 17th-century Italian music, there was a difference between prima pratica and seconda pratica. Women usually did not have much access to education in the prima pratica style. However, Leonarda was trained in formal counterpoint and used it in many of her pieces. Leonarda's complex use of harmonies shows her influence. She helped develop polyphonic music at Sant'Orsola. Many other Italian nun composers were doing similar things in their own convents at the same time. This style allowed musicians to be creative and add small improvisations or musical decorations.
Leonarda's sonatas have unusual structures. It is generally thought that Arcangelo Corelli set the "standard" four-movement form for the sonata da chiesa (slow–fast–slow–fast). However, Leonarda's sonatas can have as few as four movements (Sonatas 6 and 9) or as many as thirteen (Sonata 4). Her four-section sonatas do not follow Corelli's slow–fast–slow–fast pattern.
Also, Leonarda uses refrains in a unique way. Sonata 5 is the most regular. Sonata 10 has two refrains in a pattern like A–B–C–D–E–B–D–F–B–G. Sonata 4 has a very unusual plan: A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I–J–I'–J'–I. Her sections are mainly of three types:
- Fast sections in duple metre, often with some imitation. These came from the canzona tradition.
- Slow, expressive sections in duple meter that are homophonic (all parts move together). These might be related to the toccata and recitative.
- Homophonic sections (sometimes with short imitated parts) in triple time. These seem to be related to dance music.
Why She Dedicated Her Publications
Almost all of Leonarda's works have two dedications. One is to the Virgin Mary, and the other is to an important living person. In one dedication, Leonarda said she wrote music not for fame. Instead, she wanted everyone to know she was devoted to the Virgin Mary. The living people she dedicated her works to included the archbishop of Milan, the bishop of Novara, and Emperor Leopold I. She likely needed financial support for the convent, which was a reason for many of these dedications. She also wrote in the dedication to Opus 10 that she only composed during her rest time. This was so she would not ignore her duties in the convent. This goes against ideas that Leonarda could spend more time composing than other nuns because of her leadership roles.
See also
In Spanish: Isabella Leonarda para niños
