The Muse’s Mistress - La Cecchina e la Virtuosissima Cantatrice
Virtuoso songs of desire and devotion by two women from 17th-century Italy: Francesca Caccini and Barbara Strozzi
Emily Van Evera (soprano)
Maria Cleary (double harp)
Eric Milnes (harpsichord)
Erin Headley (viol)
Fredrik Bock (lute)

Emily van Evera has a marvellous voice, with perfectly-placed trills and oranaments. She has done a lot of research too, shown in brief but very informative introductions to each section. There was more Caccini than Strozzi (the reason given is that Strozzi has had a lot of coverage recently and Caccini hardly at all). It's interesting to hear the two in one programme, and appreciate the difference in styles pre and post Monteverdi etc. Strozzi is so much stronger and more overt, both emotionally and musically. The band were superb, and the ensemble perfect. I hadn't realised how big the harp was (old harps are usually quite small, but this was modern concert-size). There was at least one short instrumental in each segment of the programme, of music by composers co-aeval with Caccini.

I adored the Caccini pieces, and would love to sing some (as Selene said goodbye, she said she had been imagining me singing the Caccini, which may have been just her being sweet and encouraging). There is one piece in particular I'd like to try, if I can get it.