Antonia Bembo

Antonia Padoani Bembo was born in Venice around 1640 to Giacomo Padoani (1603–1666), a doctor, and Diana Paresco (1609–1676). She was their only daughter. In 1659, she married the Venetian noble Lorenzo Bembo (1637–1703) with whom she had three children. Her husband left her and her children for five years on military duty without providing them any means to survive. She brought him to court over this and relocated to Paris in 1677, with the help of Francesco Corbetta. There she sang for Louis XIV. Louis granted her a pension and housing at the Petite Union Chrétienne des Dames de Saint Chaumont, a religious community. She died in Paris around 1720 She was a contemporary of Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre and Barbara Strozzi. ==Oeuvre==

Bembo was taught by Francesco Cavalli (who also taught Barbara Strozzi), and wrote in all the major genres of the time, including opera, secular and sacred cantatas, and petit and grand motets. Her work displays a combination of French and Italian styles, using Italian virtuoso elements alongside French dance forms. Much of her work is for soprano voice with continuo accompaniment. Bembo's large scale works include two Te Deum settings and the opera Ercole amante (1707), the latter set to a libretto by Francesco Buti. In Bembo's first collection, there are five songs are set to Latin text, one to French (no. 40), and thirty-four to Italian. Since she was a soprano, her vocal compositions are mostly in higher register, and so suitable for her range. Thirty-two of them are supplied with simple figured-bass accompaniments (nos. 1, 6-13, 15-17, 20-32, 34-40). Two other soprano airs have an accompaniment for two violins and figured bass (nos. 2 and 5); one air requires only a single violin with the bass (no. 3). There are two duets for sopranos (nos. 4 and 19); one trio for two sopranos and tenor accompanied by two violins, basso continuo, and instrumental prelude (no. 14); one duet for soprano and tenor (no. 18); and one duet for soprano and bass (no. 33) complete the collection. Ercole amante is a five-act opera following the set pattern of contemporary Italian opera, consisting of alternating recitative and aria. Since Bembo studied with Cavalli, her compositional techniques of Italian music is remarkable, full of vocal virtuosity and emotional intensity. Compared with Cavalli's original work, Bembo applied French tragédie en musique, chorus, French overture and instrumental dance forms. By these with Cavalli's Italian operatic style, Bembo made Ercole amante a hybrid work of two different countries' musical styles. In addition, she changed the opera's dramatic climax to Hercules’s plight in act 3, scene 2, whereas Cavalli's had been Dejanira’s suffering in act 2, scene 5. This detail is not needed here as the opera has an article --> == List of works ==

• Produzioni armoniche, 41 arias and cantatas in Italian, French, and Latin. (vol. I) (1701) • Te Deum for 3 voices (vol. II, dedicated to Marie Adélaïde of Savoy in 1704) • Serenata for 5 voices (vol. II) • 2 mottetti (vol. III) • Te Deum for 5 voices (vol. III) • Salmo XIX, for 3 voices (vol. III) • Ercole amante, opera set to a libretto by Francesco Buti (1707) (vols. IV-V) • '''' (vol. VI) (Seven Psalms of David) == Recordings ==

• 12 soprano cantatas Clizia Amnate Del Sole, Habbi Pieta Di Me, Volgete Altrovi Il Guardo. Maria Jonas Convoce Coeln (Alpha) • 41 complete Produzioni Armoniche 3CD Armonia delle Sfere (Tactus) • The Seven Psalms of David, Vol. I (2004), Cleveland Voices Laury Gutierrez La Donna Musicale • The Seven Psalms of David, Vol. II (2005), La Donna Musicale :The texts for these psalms were written by Élisabeth Sophie Chéron. • L'Ercole amante - Gusto Barocco, Halubek 2023 ==References==