Maddalena Casulana

The imperfectly documented 16th century Italian composer Maddalena Casulana was apparently admired by leading male composers of her day. The new emphasis on music by women has seen the revival of some of her madrigals, with new ones being rediscovered frequently. Little is known of Casulana's early life. In 1568, she published her Il primo libro di madrigali, recognized as the first printed volume of music by a woman in Western musical history. Casulana seems to have been a vigorous defender of the rights of women to develop their musical talents. She published a Second Book of Madrigals in 1583, and several more of her compositions were included in anthology publications in the late 1580s. Scholarly efforts have rediscovered various works by Casulana in recent years, and as of the mid-2020s, 66 works are known to exist.