The Phenomenon of the Composer Francesca Caccini in the Context of Italian Musical Culture of the Baroque Era

The aim of the article is to determine the role of the composer Francesca Caccini in the Italian musical culture of the Baroque era and to reveal the vocal and stylistic features of F. Caccini’s first female opera The Liberation of Ruggiero from the Island of Alcina. The results include an analysis of the works of leading Western scholars on the Italian musical culture of the Baroque period. It is argued that the emergence of female vocal ensembles changed the musical landscape of Italy and influenced the genre stylistics, vocal performance traditions, and musical expressive techniques. It is determined that F. Caccini’s contribution to the art of vocal opera is undeniable. The article demonstrates that the opera The Liberation of Ruggiero from the Island of Alcina can be compared with proto-salon musical and theatrical performances of Europe and Britain. The scientific novelty lies in the attempt to determine the degree of influence of cult female ensembles on the status of women in Italian musical culture at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries, as well as to draw parallels between the first "female" Italian opera of the Baroque era and the proto-salon genres of Europe and Britain (English court masque, French court ballet). Conclusions. It is proved that in the 16th century, gender norms in society allowed women to perform music only in monasteries. The activity of the Concerto Delle Donne ensemble is identified as a turning point in Italian musical culture, which can be equated with a gender-musical revolution. Emphasis is placed on F. Caccini’s first "female" opera The Liberation of Ruggiero from the Island of Alcina as a rare example of early Baroque opera and ballet. The genre and stylistic features of the opera are characterised. A parallel between F. Caccini’s opera, the proto-salon genres of Europe and Britain, and the "intellectual theatre" of court gatherings in Byzantium is identified. The article highlights the extent of the cultural influence of F. Caccini’s works on the gender factor in Italian musical culture