Concerto Copenhagen and the Fredensborg Palace Church Girls’ Choir share a passion for Baroque music and are now performing works by Vivaldi and Cozzolani under the direction of Cille Buch.

In God’s eyes, we are all equal, and perhaps music is one of the places where this well-known saying takes on special meaning. That was certainly the case in Italian monasteries during the 17th and 18th centuries, where music was practiced by both poor orphans and the daughters of noble families. Concerto Copenhagen and the Fredensborg Palace Church Girls’ Choir illustrate this when they jointly present music by Vivaldi and Cozzolani.

Chiara Margarita Cozzolani (1602–1678) was the youngest daughter of a wealthy Milanese merchant family and was sent to a convent at the age of 17. It was not uncommon for wealthy families to send their youngest daughters to a convent, either out of religious conviction or because it was too costly to marry them off. The Convent of Santa Radegonda was known for its musical nuns, and throughout her long life, Cozzolani was recognized for her talents as a singer and as an exceptionally prolific composer. Among her works is Laetatus Sum for 8-part choir and continuo, which will be performed at this concert in an expanded version with strings.

The Ospedale della Pietà was a convent in Venice that had been taking in orphaned and impoverished girls since the 15th century. These were the lowest strata of society, yet music played a central role here as well—not least during the nearly 40 years that Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was associated with the institution. Despite the seemingly limited conditions, the female musicians from the Ospedale achieved an exceptionally high artistic level and became widely famous, both at the time and in posterity. Vivaldi’s Gloria is one of the best-known works from this tradition and is performed here alongside the more heartfelt Kyrie for choir and orchestra.

Whether MON from wealthy or humble backgrounds, music is for everyone—that was MON Baroque-era Italy, and hopefully it holds true today as well.