Laudate Dominum (soprano, 2 violins & continuo)

Cracking down on the music-making of nuns saw the
Vatican issuing one ban after another – on polyphony, on instruments, on
external music teachers. Cozzolani’s convent of Santa Radegonda
could trade on its fame to battle for autonomy in the face of the
Vatican’s demands. Well-known for its musicality across Italy, a
contemporary letter said that the nuns of Santa Radegonda of Milan
are gifted with such rare and exquisite talents in music that they are
acknowledged to be the best singers of Italy. They wear the Cassinese
habits of St. Benedict,, but they seem to any listener to be white and
melodious swans, who fill hearts with wonder, and spirit away tongues in
their praise. Among these sisters, Donna Chiara Margarita Cozzolani
merits the highest praise… Cozzolani had rapidly gained
recognition for her talent as a singer and published her works during
the 1640s and 50s, contemporaneously with Francesca Caccini in
Florence. 

Her
composing career seems to have ended with her appointment as Abbess of
the Convent. As Abbess, Cozzolani came into conflict with the
authorities, particularly archbishop Alfonso Litta. Her works suggest
why. Polyphony was forbidden apart from high holidays and the only
appropriate instruments were keyboards, and if absolutely necessary,
viol. Cozzolani’s larger works are for collections of up to 8 voices in
polyphony, complete with low parts which would likely have been filled
in by Santa Radegonda’s extraordinary trombone players, a most
inappropriate instrument for women in general and nuns in particular.

Like
her fellow nun-composers, Cozzolani’s music is no bloodless piety. Her
texts tend towards the erotic, with some imagery as intense as any of
Barbara Strozzi’s titillating songs. Amongst her Concerti Sacri is a
substantial motet dwelling on drinking the life-giving milk from the
breast of the Virgin, and the life-giving blood of Christ from his
wounds of the Cross.

Laudate Dominum omnes gentes;	Praise the Lord all nations;
laudate eum omnes populi.	praise him all peoples.
Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus,	For his merciful kindness is ever greater towards us,
et veritas Domini manet.	and the truth of the Lord endures.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spirito Sancto	Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper	As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.
in saecula saeculorum	World without end.
Amen	Amen