Music and women of the commedia dell'arte in the late sixteenth century

"Music and Women of the Commedia dell'Arte narrates the story of the most famous commedia dell'arte troupe of the late Renaissance, focusing in particular on the representation of women on stage and on the role of music-making in their craft. In its thorough integration of the fields of music history, theatre history, performance studies, women's studies, and Classics, this is the first comprehensive analysis of the leading actresses of the Compagnia dei Gelosi and their contributions to the Renaissance stage. Including an extensive survey of documents concerning comedians, their patrons, colleagues and audiences, Music and Women of the Commedia dell'Arte provides a context for the study of musical-theatrical performance before the advent of opera and re-defines our perceptions of women, music, and theatre in the Renaissance."--Jacket.