Music from Bolognese convents of the 17th century

Lucretia Orsina Vizana is the only Bolognese nun whose music is extant: her 1623 collection of motets for 1-4 voices were written for and dedicated to her sister nuns at the convent of Santa Cristina. These, and other Bolognese nuns, were also the dedicatees of more than 10 collections of sacred music composed by important male composers (Banchieri, Trombetti and others) before the end of the 17th century.

“This recording is a real find. From it one can understand why noble visitors were attracted to Bologna to hear the “Sirens in the Cloister”.[…] I heartily recommend this disc as a way to explore a wonderful “new” repertoire. […] It is perhaps too fanciful to imagine that in most convents the choir would have been composed of singers of this caliber.” (American Record Guide)

“Un’ora abbondante di musica originale, che deriva da ricerche originali […] Le voci sono graziose, limpide, chiare, intonate, e gli strumenti agiscono con discrezione, quasi per rammentare una presenza non mai decisamente avallata dalla Chiesa.“ (Lirica)

“Es ist reizende Musik, auch wegen der Harmonien, die entstehen, wenn die Stimmen so dicht nebeneinander liegen. Das nur aus Frauen bestehende Ensemble Cappella Artemisia zeigt hier eine beachtliche Leistung. […] Sehr seltsam klingen die Altistinnen: manchmal glaubt man einen Tenor zu hören. Alles in allem eine sehr schöne CD, die eine neue Welt öffnet und mit einer vergessenen Musizierpraxis bekannt macht.” (Alte Musik Aktuell)