Isabella Leonarda’s Solo Violin Sonata
Rob Diggins and Jillon Stoppels Dupree
In addition to vocal works by women composers, Magnificat’s upcoming program will include a trio sonata by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre and a sonata for solo violin and continuo by Isabella Leonarda. In 1693, Isabella published her op. 16, a collection of twelve sonatas, the first such publication by a woman. Eleven of the sonatas are for two violins and continuo but the collection concludes with an extraordinary virtuoso work for solo violin, which will be performed on our program by Rob Diggins and Jillon Stoppels Dupree.
Through-composed in seven sections, the solo sonata is stylistically closer to the middle of the 17th century than the last decade – more like Marini or Uccelini than Corelli. It is harmonically adventurous and alternates free quasi-improvisational sections with more structured “arias” and dance-like passages.
Rob has been a fixture in Magnificat’s concerts since returning to California from his studies in Holland in 1994. He has performed Isabella’s solo sonata in two programs with Magnificat: first in 2003 on a program devoted to Isabella’s music and again last summer in our CD release party at Yoshi’s in San Francisco.
Here’s a recording from 2003 in which Rob is joined by Warren Stewart, violoncello; David Tayler, theorbo and Hanneke van Proosdij, harpsichord.