Francesca Caccini

Born: Florence 1587 —— Died: Florence, after 1641

“la Cecchina”

Francesca Caccini, (born September 18, 1587, Florence [Italy]—died after June 1641, Florence), Italian composer and singer who was one of only a handful of women in 17th-century Europe whose compositions were published. The most significant of her compositions—published and unpublished—were produced during her employment at the Medici court in Florence.

Francesca Caccini, together with her sister Settimia, was introduced to the Florentine musical world by her father, Giulio Caccini, a noted composer of opera and song. She probably sang in the 1600 production of L’Euridice, an opera that included contributions by her father, sung by his students (most of the music was composed by Jacopo Peri). In the same year, she likely also sang in her father’s Il rapimento di Cefalo (“The Abduction of Cephalus”), composed to a libretto by Gabriello Chiabrera. After two aborted attempts between 1604 and 1606 to secure steady work outside Florence as a singer and composer, Francesca finally joined her father in employment at the Medici court in November 1607.

~ Rebecca Cypress, Brittanica Online