Although she was born in Antwerp in 1610, Leonara Duarte’s family heritage was Portuguese-Jewish. At that time and place, it was necessary for them to be “converso” – pretending to be Catholics while secretly observing their Jewish faith. Leonara Duarte grew up in a family that valued the arts and culture, hosting concerts and musicians. Despite the societal constraints against women composers, especially Jewish musicians, she composed seven sinfonias which are credited as the earliest music written for viol by a woman in the 17th c. Today’s Beautiful Music highlights two outstanding women and comes with a visual art component — Griselda Sanderson presents her ‘Drawing Threads: 2020’ series –painting to her own recording of a Sinfonia by Leonara Duarte. It’s quite extraordinary! You can also read more about Griselda Sanderson’s “Drawing Threads” series, andwatch an interview with Dr. Elizabeth Weinfield, a viol player and Juilliard musicologist who is an expert on Leonara Duarte.
(64) SEPTEMBER: ‘Sinfonias 3 & 4’ by Leonora Duarte (Belgium) – YouTube
Leonora Duarte: A Converso With a Talent for Composition – Jewish Exponent
Drawing Threads 2020 Blog | Griselda Sanderson (grissanderson.com)