Desperate Measures The Life and Music of Antonia Padoani Bembo [Paperback]

One of the most fascinating figures of seventeenth-century music, composer and singer Antonia Padoani Bembo (c.1640 - c.1720) was active in both Venice and Paris. Her work provides a unique cross-cultural window into the rich musical cultures of these cities, but owing to her clandestine existence in France, Bembo's life was shrouded in mystery for almost three centures after her death. In this first-ever biography, Claire Fontijn unveils the enthralling and surprising story of a remarkable woman who moved in the musical, literary, and artistic circles of these European cultural centers.

List of Documents (Appendix 1)
List of Longer Musical Examples (Appendix 2)
Abbreviations

Introduction: Uncovering her Story

PART I. THE LIFE
Chapter 1: The Girl Who Sings
Chapter 2: Our Lady of Good News

PART II. THE MUSIC
Chapter 3: Harmonic Productions
Chapter 4: Ties That Bind
Chapter 5: The United Tastes
Chapter 6: Penitence
Chapter 7:Hercules in Love
Postscript: Sunset

Appendix 1. Documents
Appendix 2. Longer Musical Examples
List of Web Site Tracks
Bibliography
Index

Desperate Measuresis ground-breaking, eye-opening, substantial and painstakingly researched. --Robert Manning,The Consort

This is a work of exemplary archival research and musicological import for scholars, complemented by a valuable recording. This will be the definitive Antonia Bembo biography for years to come. -Honorable Mention, Pauline Alderman Award, International Alliance of Women and Music.

InDesperate Measures, Claire Fontijn relates a fascinating account of a young girl's journey from the Venice of famed composer Francesco Cavalli to Paris at the end of the reign of Louis XIV. Through impeccable research and close attention to a wide variety of documentary gems, Antonia Padoani Bembo's life and music are presented here in rich detail. This book provides a compllSJ