Synopses & Reviews
When eight-year-old Lucrezia Orsina Vizzana (1590andndash;1662) entered one of the preeminent convents in Bologna in 1598, she had no idea what cloistered life had in store for her. Thanks to clandestine instruction from a local maestro di cappellaandmdash;and despite the church hierarchyandrsquo;s vehement opposition to all convent musicandmdash;Vizzana became the star of the convent, composing works so thoroughly modern and expressive that a recent critic described them as andldquo;historical treasures.andrdquo; But at the very moment when Vizzanaandrsquo;s works appeared in 1623andmdash;she would be the only Bolognese nun ever to publish her musicandmdash;extraordinary troubles beset her and her fellow nuns, as episcopal authorities arrived to investigate anonymous allegations of sisterly improprieties with male members of their order.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Craig A. Monson retells the story of Vizzana and the nuns of Santa Cristina to elucidate the role that music played in the lives of these cloistered women. Gifted singers, instrumentalists, and composers, these nuns used music not only to forge links with the community beyond convent walls, but also to challenge and circumvent ecclesiastical authority. Monson explains how the sisters of Santa Cristinaandmdash;refusing to accept what the church hierarchy called Godandrsquo;s will and what the nuns perceived as a besmirching of their honorandmdash;fought back with words and music, and when these proved futile, with bricks, roof tiles, and stones. These women defied one Bolognese archbishop after another, cardinals in Rome, and even the pope himself, until threats of excommunication and abandonment by their families brought them to their knees twenty-five years later. By then, Santa Cristinaandrsquo;s imaginative but frail composer literally had been driven mad by the conflict.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Monsonandrsquo;s fascinating narrative relies heavily on the words of its various protagonists, on both sides of the cloister wall, who emerge vividly as imaginative, independent-minded, and not always sympathetic figures. In restoring the musically gifted Lucrezia Orsina Vizzana to history, Monson introduces readers to the full range of captivating characters who played their parts in seventeenth-century convent life.and#160;
Review
and#8220;Craig A. Monsonand#8217;s updated account of how the seventeenth-century Bolognese nun Lucrezia Vizzana was able to reflect the ecclesiastical, spiritual, and musical concerns of her day is bound to appeal to a wide audience both in and beyond academe. He delves into rivalry, betrayal, and madness in such lucid and elegant prose, so free from jargon, that it is almost a guilty pleasure to read. Especially satisfying is the and#8216;codettaand#8217; to the book that allows it to come triumphantly full circle, with Vizzanaand#8217;s voice echoing from beyond the grave.and#8221;
Review
andldquo;[A] rich tapestry of cultural life, religious history, and gender politics that puts Whoopi Goldbergandrsquo;s shenanigans in Sister Act to shame. . . . Monson has rescued Vizzana and her colleagues from obscurity. Read Divas in the Convent as a reminder of musicandrsquo;s power to uplift, to challenge, and to transform.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;If the mark of a good book is that it opens up a new universe, then this book certainly qualifies. Monson kicks open the cloistered doors of Santa Cristina and tells a story of unparalleled talent among the inhabitants, who desire to create and sing music worthy of their high calling but pay a price in doing so. Meticulously researched, it is the story of nunsandrsquo; love for music and the struggle against those who tell them to andlsquo;resign themselves with good cheer to Godandrsquo;s ordering of things, as made manifest through their superiors.andrsquo; The world of 17th-century convent life can seem foreign to modern-day church folks, and then again by simply changing the word andlsquo;musicandrsquo; to any one of the issues faced by similar religious communities today, perhaps it isnandrsquo;t so much different 300 years later. The maneuverings recorded in letters and documents now held in various Italian archives make this book a model to those who want to see history come alive.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;This is a substantial work of scholarship that brings tremendous insights into the inner workings, politics, and musical culture of Bolognese convents of the early seicento. . . . The bookandrsquo;s lively prose is enhanced by a good variety of illustrations and musical examples. Also included are a helpful glossary of terms and short biographical sketches of individuals mentioned in the text. Recommended.andrdquo;
Review
and#8220;This book provides readers with a thoroughly researched study of the reckless resistance of the Santa Cristina nuns, doomed to failure in the increasingly patriarchal post-Tridentine church. Included are excellent supplementary materials, including genealogies, glossaries, convent photographs, scores, etc. It is a must for those interested in womenand#8217;s history. It is also of great value to musical experts and performers. It is erudite, lively, and full of fascinating information that will surely repay additional readings.and#8221;
About the Author
Craig A. Monson is professor of music at Washington University in St. Louis and the author of Nuns Behaving Badly: Tales of Music, Magic, Art, and Arson in the Convents of Italy.and#160;
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface to the New Edition
Acknowledgments
Dramatis Personae
List of Abbreviations
Praeludium: Putting Nun Musicians in Their Place
1and#160;Donna Lucrezia Orsina Vizzana of Santa Cristina della Fondazza
2and#160;Lucrezia Vizzanaand#8217;s Musical Apprenticeship
3and#160;Musical and Monastic Disobedience in Vizzanaand#8217;s Componimenti musicali
4and#160;Hearing Lucrezia Vizzanaand#8217;s Voice
5and#160;Troubles in an Earthly Paradise: and#8220;It Began Because of Musicand#8221;
6and#160;Voices of Discord at Santa Cristina
7and#160;Losing Battles with a Bishop: and#8220;We Cared for Babylon, and She Is Not Healedand#8221;
8and#160;A Gentler Means to a Bitter End
9and#160;and#8220;Pomp Indecent for Religious Observance and Modestyand#8221;
10and#160;Another Bishop, Another Battle, a Different Outcome
11and#160;A Last Battle and an Uneasy Peace
12and#160;Coda
Notes
Glossary
Further Reading and Listening
Index