Caccini, Francesca (EN)

Caccini [katˈtʃiːni] Francesca, also known as La Cecchina, married Signorini (from 1622 she signed herself Signorini Malaspina), *18 September 1587 Florence, † before 1640, singer and composer. Daughter of Giulio Caccini and his first wife, Lucia, also a singer. She was musically educated by her father and is one of the greatest vocal celebrities of the early Baroque era. Her first appearance was probably in Il rapimento di Cefalo by G. Caccini, and from then on, she sang constantly at the court in Florence in the so-called “Concerto Caccini” and solo, accompanying herself on a plucked string instrument. During the stay of “Concerto Caccini” in Paris (1604/1605), the singing of Francesca Caccini in particular received high acclaim at the French court. In 1606 Francesca Caccini married G. B. Signorini, Florentine court singer (†1626), and in that year she spent some time in Rome; she probably went there in other years too. In 1617, Francesca Caccini travelled with her husband on an artistic tour to Lucca, Genoa, Milan, Savona, and Parma, which ended with her great success. In 1621 she gave birth to a daughter, Margherita, who later became an outstanding singer. Francesca remained in the service of the Florentine court until 1627 (her salary in that year was the highest among the salaries of musicians). The last confirmed information about Francesca Caccini dates from 1628, when she sang the part of the Discordia in La Flora (text by A. Salvadori, music by M. da Gagliano). The earliest references to Francesca’s works date from 1606; these were compositions for canzonettas by M.A. Buonarroti (the younger), with whom she remained friends for many years. Henceforth, she often participated in the musical accompaniment of carnival court shows.

Il primo libro delle musiche by Francesca Caccini is the largest printed collection of monodic works from the 1st quarter of the 17th century; it contains 19 solo religious pieces, 13 solo secular pieces and 4 duets for soprano, bass, and basso continuo, also to secular texts. These works are, on the one hand, a continuation of the style of her father-teacher, but, on the other, they have clearly different features, manifested above all in the treatment of dissonances, which are much more frequently and boldly used in Francesca’s work. In this regard, C. Raney compares Francesca with Monteverdi. In her compositions, basso continuo is threatened more individually; it is much livelier. For Giulio Caccini the use of a one or two minor thirds in a succession or chord is characteristic, whereas for Francesca it is the use of a diminished seventh chord. Moreover, Francesca’s attitude to polyphony is not as negative as Giulio Caccini’s, because her duets contain imitative passages, what is more in 6 of her solo pieces appears romanesca as an ostinato. Francesca’s dramatic abilities were greater than her father’s. Her talent was recognised by her contemporaries, which is proven by the commissioning of music for court performances from Francesca rather than Giulio Caccini. La liberazione di Ruggiero… is the only published print of her work. It was written for the arrival of Prince Ladislaus Sigismund Vasa, which was, in contrary to the phrase “balletto” in the score’s title, a regular dramma per musica, with an extended final ballet, with music by an unknown author, conceptualised as a “festa” for the entire court. Francesca uses here mostly recitative, but to emphasise the dramatic situation, she also introduces various types of arias and, above all, various harmonic devices.

Literature: M.G. Massera Una musicista fiorentina del seicento. Francesca Caccini, “La Rassegna Musicale Italiana” XIV, 1941 i XV, 1942; D. Silbert Francesca Caccini, called La Cecchina, “The Musical Quarterly” XXXII, 1946; C. Raney Francesca Caccini’s “Primo libro”, “Music and Letters” XLVIII, 1967; A. and Z. M. Szweykowski “La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina” – legends and facts, published in: Dzieło muzyczne. Teoria, historia, interpretacja, edited by I. Poniatowska, Kraków 1984; Z.M. Szweykowski Ideał muzyki starożytnej w praktyce kompozytorskiej wczesnego seicenta, “Muzyka” 1983 No. 4; G.A. Predota Towards a Reconsideration of the Romanesca. Francesca Caccini’s “Primo libro delle musiche” and Contemporary Monodic Settings in the First Quarter of the Seventeenth Century, “Recercare” V, 1993; S.G. Cusick “Who is this Woman?”. Self-Presentation, Imitatio Virginis and Compositional Voice in Francesca Caccini’s Primo Libro of 1618, “Il saggiatore musicale” V, 1998.