The start of the Ex Femina tribute in the Concert Hall took place last Thursday. However, there are two more nights, the night of next Thursday, and also Thursday, March 9th. Ex Femina is a journey into the past. In any case, the so-called “early music” (early music), performed on ancient instruments, has experienced an extraordinary flowering in recent decades. The treasures found are priceless.

Only Ex Femina has an additional feature: the theme of the three-part tribute to early music is “women who have made their mark on musical creation and practice”.

Women composers of other times? In recent years, there have been more and more of them. Recently, the outstanding compositional work of Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847) has stood out, but she lived in the shadow of her beloved brother (and great composer) Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). The two brothers shared a great love, they died young, a few days apart…

However, women’s relationship with music dates back much earlier. “I had a question about the role of women in music,” Theodoros Kitsos, assistant professor of music studies at AUTH, who planned and coordinated Ex Femina, tells me. “Working with my students on an early music project, we did a lot of research, discovered a lot of interesting things and thought to present it in Athens. So we chose three women from different social backgrounds.”

Last Thursday, Isabella d’Este (1474-1539) was introduced to Megaro. “She was a singer and played the lute,” says Mr. Kitsos. “He belonged to a powerful dynasty in Italy. She left an indelible mark on her musical performances. At her court, he met Michelangelo, Leonardo, Ariosto, Castiglione. He lived at a time when Franco-Flemish musical language dominated Italy. However, she contributed to the musical renaissance of Italy.”

“Venetian Barbara Strozzi proved in the competition that music can awaken love passion.”

Next Thursday will be dedicated to Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704). “She was a woman from the church. At the age of 16, she entered the Ursuline Monastery in the Novara Convent. She lived all her life as a nun. He wrote a very large number of works for that time. She was the first woman to write instrumental sonatas, although her work is mostly vocal.”

Finally, on March 9, the most famous of these three musicians, Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677), will be presented. “The most important female composer, her work is priceless. It has shaped the cantata as we know it,” adds Mr. Kitsos. , proving that music can, better than anyone, arouse love passion.

There are still many women who wrote music but who did not dare to publicize their work or, when they did, they were overshadowed by male dominance and eventually forgotten. Research by Mr. Kitsu and his team will continue.

Here we say that these three evenings in Megaro are not just concerts, but also a kind of performance, since the musical part will be preceded by introductory conversations, screenings (16/2) and combination with theatrical art (9/3).

Ex Femina I and II. Old music with old instruments. A cycle of early music performances dedicated to women who have left their mark on the creation and practice of music. Cycle planning and coordination: Theodoros Kitsos. Thursday, February 23, Isabella Leonard. Thursday, March 9, Barbara Strozzi. Athens Concert Hall, Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall.