poch with the
casual remark that no women composers appear within its limits. But
modern research has shown the futility of this statement.

The records of the Netherland schools are meagre, so it is to Italy that
we must turn for the earliest examples of skilled women composers. The
first great name is that of Maddalena Casulana, who was born at Brescia
about 1540. Her published compositions took the shape of two volumes of
madrigals, issued in 1568 and 1583. Next in point of time comes Vittoria
Aleotti, a native of Argenta. Her _magnum opus_ was published at Venice,
in 1593, under the flowery title, "Ghirlanda dei Madrigali a 4 Voci."
Francesca Baglioncella, born at Perugia in the same century, is another
exponent of the art, while Orsina Vizzani, who first saw the light of
day at Bologna in 1593, not only composed many pieces in this form, but
by playing her own and others'[3] works did much to make it popular with
all music-lovers in Italy.

The year 1600 saw the beginning of opera, due to the work of Peri and
his Florentine compeers in trying to--

"Revive the just designs of Greece."

Among the early operatic composers is found the charming and
accomplished Francesca Caccini, daughter of that Giulio Caccini who was
Peri's friend and most formidable rival. Born at Florence in 1581, and
educated in the most thorough manner, she was for many years the idol of
her native city, not only because of her great talent in singing and
composition, but also on account of the exquisite beauty of her Latin
and Tuscan poetry. Among other musical works by her are two examples of
the new form,--"La Liberazione di Ruggiero" and "Rinaldo
Innamorato,"--both of which are preserved to us. A later composer in the
same field was Barbara Strozzi, whose opera, "Diporti d'Euterpe," was
successfully received at Venice in 1659. In Ricordi's modern collection
of old Italian songs are some charming examples of her skill in other
directions.

In the domain of Italian sacred music, too, the women were not inactive.
Catterina Assandra, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, wrote a
number of religious works, of which "Veni Sancte Spiritus," for two
voices, achieved more than passing fame. Margarita Cozzolani and
Lucrezia Orsina Vezzana, both Catholic sisters, won renown by their
motets and other sacred works. Cornelia Calegari, born at Bergamo in
1644, won the plaudits of her nation by her wonderful singing and
organ-playing, as well