Francesca Caccini ([franˈtʃeska katˈtʃiË ni]; 18 September 1587
â€" after 1641) was an Italian composer, singer, lutenist, poet, and
music teacher of the early Baroque era. She was also known by the
nickname "La Cecchina" [la tʃekˈkiË na], given to her by the
Florentines and probably a diminutive of "Francesca". She was the
daughter of Giulio Caccini. Her only surviving stage work, La
liberazione di Ruggiero, is widely considered the oldest opera by a
woman composer.Caccini was born in Florence, and received a humanistic
education (Latin, some Greek, as well as modern languages and
literature, mathematics) in addition to early musical training with
her father. According to Liliana Panella, the first well-founded
testimony of Francesca's singer's activity, together with her sister
Settimia, at the Medici court, is 1602: in his diary Cesare Tinghi
notes that on 3 April 1602 St. Nicholas church in Pisa, where the
court moved every year during Lent, polychoral music was directed by
"Giulio Romano [Giulio Caccini], having the wife (the second wife,
Margherita) and the two daughters singing well".In her early life,
Caccini performed with her parents, her half-brother Pompeo, her
sister Settimia, and possibly other unnamed Caccini pupils in an
ensemble contemporaries referred to as le donne di Giulio Romano.
After she was hired by the court, she continued to perform with the
family ensemble until Settimia's marriage and resulting move to Mantua
caused its breakup. Caccini served the Medici court as a teacher,
chamber singer, rehearsal coach and composer of both chamber and stage
music until early 1627. By 1614 she was the court's most highly paid
musician, in no small part because her musical virtuosity so well
exemplified an idea of female excellence projected by Tuscany's de
facto Regent, Grand-Duchess Christina of Lorraine. By 1623 she earned
240 scudi.
â€" after 1641) was an Italian composer, singer, lutenist, poet, and
music teacher of the early Baroque era. She was also known by the
nickname "La Cecchina" [la tʃekˈkiË na], given to her by the
Florentines and probably a diminutive of "Francesca". She was the
daughter of Giulio Caccini. Her only surviving stage work, La
liberazione di Ruggiero, is widely considered the oldest opera by a
woman composer.Caccini was born in Florence, and received a humanistic
education (Latin, some Greek, as well as modern languages and
literature, mathematics) in addition to early musical training with
her father. According to Liliana Panella, the first well-founded
testimony of Francesca's singer's activity, together with her sister
Settimia, at the Medici court, is 1602: in his diary Cesare Tinghi
notes that on 3 April 1602 St. Nicholas church in Pisa, where the
court moved every year during Lent, polychoral music was directed by
"Giulio Romano [Giulio Caccini], having the wife (the second wife,
Margherita) and the two daughters singing well".In her early life,
Caccini performed with her parents, her half-brother Pompeo, her
sister Settimia, and possibly other unnamed Caccini pupils in an
ensemble contemporaries referred to as le donne di Giulio Romano.
After she was hired by the court, she continued to perform with the
family ensemble until Settimia's marriage and resulting move to Mantua
caused its breakup. Caccini served the Medici court as a teacher,
chamber singer, rehearsal coach and composer of both chamber and stage
music until early 1627. By 1614 she was the court's most highly paid
musician, in no small part because her musical virtuosity so well
exemplified an idea of female excellence projected by Tuscany's de
facto Regent, Grand-Duchess Christina of Lorraine. By 1623 she earned
240 scudi.
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