Maddalena Sirmen and her World

Donald Macleod delves into the world of Venetian composer,
Maddalena Sirmen


Maddalena Sirmen was born in Venice in 1745 and christened
Maddalena Laura Lombardini. Her poverty-stricken family were
unable to support her and by the age of seven she was admitted to
one of Venice’s ‘Ospedali’. The Ospedali were hospitals and
orphanages set up to help the needy but also celebrated for the
musical education they provided to their residents . Sirmen soon
excelled in her training. By the age of fourteen she was accepted
for additional music lessons in Padua with the famed violinist,
Tartini, and became one of his favourite students. In 1767 she
married fellow composer, Lodovico Sirmen, and was able to leave
the Ospedale, at last. There followed many successful years of
travelling and performing as a virtuoso violinist, often
presenting her own works. Sirmen’s music was published in many
leading European cities, and Leopold Mozart said of one of her
works, that it was “beautifully written”. When visiting London
for a third time, Sirmen decided to present herself as a singer,
rather than a violinist. This proved to be a mistake and she was
greatly criticised in the press. From this point onwards her
reputation diminished despite further concerts, as a violinist,
in Paris, Dresden and St Petersburg. Sirmen eventually settled
back in Venice, where she died in 1818.


Music Featured:


Violin Concerto No 3 in A major, Op 3 No 3 (excerpt) Trio Sonata
No 5 in G, Op 1 No 5 (Allegro Moderato) Ferdinando Bertoni: Veni
Creator (excerpt) Trio Sonata No 5 in G, Op 1 No 5 (Rondo
Allegro) Ferdinando Bertoni: Orfeo (excerpt) String Quartet No 5
in F major Violin Concerto No 3 in A major, Op 3 No 3 Giuseppe
Tartini: Violin Sonata in G minor, “Devils Trill” (excerpt)
String Quartet No 1 in E flat major (Andante) String Quartet No 1
in E flat major (Allegretto) Giuseppe Tartini: Stabat Mater
Violin Concerto No 2 in E major, Op 3 No 2 String Quartet No 4 in
B flat major String Quartet No 2 in E flat major (excerpt) Duet
in C major, Op 4 No 6 Ludovico Sirmen: Sonata in A major
(Moderato) Violin Concerto No 5 in B flat major, Op 3 No 5
Ludovico Sirmen: Sonata in A major (Lento) String Quartet No 2 in
E flat major Violin Concerto No 1 in B flat major, Op 3 No 1
(Allegro) J. C. Bach: Gioas, re di Giuda (Fe giuriamo) Maddalena
Sirmen: Violin Concerto No 1 in B flat major, Op 3 No 1 (excerpt)
J. C. Bach: Sonata in G, Op 10 No 3, W. B4 (Rondeaux) String
Quartet No 3 in G minor Violin Concerto No 6 in C major, Op 3 No
6 Violin Concerto No 4 in C major, Op 3 No 4 (excerpt) String
Quartet No 6 in E major (Andantino) Thomas Linley Junior: The
Song of Moses (Chorus: Praise be to God, and God alone) String
Quartet No 6 in E major (Con brio) Ludovico Sirmen: Sonata in A
major (Adagio cantabile) Violin Concerto No 4 in C major, Op 3 No
4 String Quartet No 5 in F minor


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC
Audio Wales and West


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Maddalena Sirmen and her
World https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001w8gx


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z