Church of St Mary Magdalen, 9 Magdalen St, Oxford OX1 3AE
Truth is often darker than fiction.
6 months after the death of Duke Alfonso II, on the night of May 3, 1598, the Concerto Delle Donne gathers to perform one last time. Anna Guarini (daughter of the famed poet Giovanni Battista Guarini) has been murdered by her sadistic husband, Ercole Trotti. Laura Peverara, Anna’s fellow singer, is struggling to cope with the loss of her friend, the violence of court, and the fear of the unknown. Lucrezia D’Este, abuse survivor and embattled noblewoman, is back in Ferrara for the last days of the D’este regime. Featuring a dramatized performance of Cesarina Ricci’s Il Primo Libro di Madrigali and songs by Barbara Strozzi, this opera collage explores the experiences of three courtly women in the last days of the D’Este court at Ferrara.
