The Life and Solo Vocal Works of Carlotta Ferrari da Lodi

Abstract

In her lifetime, Carlotta Ferrari da Lodi composed and premiered three operas for which she also wrote the libretti. These operas, along with many of her other musical works, were highly acclaimed by her contemporaries. Additionally, she was a praised poet and writer, well respected by some of the most influential and important Italian literary minds of the 1800s. Towards the end of her life, her literary works were published in a four volume collection titled Versi e Prose. How is it that an accomplished composer and writer referred to as “Bellini in a skirt” and the “Italian Saffo” by her contemporaries was so quickly forgotten following her death? Larissa Ferrari’s biography about Carlotta as well as Carlotta’s memoir recounting the creation and premieres of her operas reveal the obstacles the composer faced throughout her life. Some of these obstacles were out of her control; primarily, her gender caused many to be skeptical of her work and achievements. However, some obstacles were of her own making; her pride and stubborn confidence occasionally caused Carlotta to make professional decisions which she would later regret. In her memoir, Carlotta attributes her professional disappointments to bad luck and her ignorance in matters of business. Today, scholarship on Ferrari’s life and works is lacking, especially scholarship in the English language. In addition, neither recordings nor sheet music of her musical works are readily available. This document serves the purpose of familiarizing the reader with the fascinating life and vocal works of Carlotta Ferrari da Lodi. Part One will address her childhood and school years, her career as a composer, her career as a writer, and her later years. In Part Two, several of Ferrari’s solo vocal works will be introduced and analyzed, including the song cycle Sei Melodie, two sacred songs, a political hymn, and six additional art songs on texts by various poets. While Ferrari’s hope that her legacy would live on was not fulfilled immediately following her death, I am hopeful that the modern musicological focus on forgotten voices throughout history will bring her memory back to life and secure her works a well-deserved place in the classical music canon.