Music & Musicians in Isabella d'Este Letters.

This program explores the musical culture fostered by Isabella d'Este, Marchioness of Mantua (1474–1539), through a selection of seven letters and nineteen compositions from the Italian Renaissance. It highlights Isabella's role in commissioning and encouraging composers such as Bartolomeo Tromboncino to create works in popular styles of the time, including frottole and barzellette. Performed by the ensemble Anonima Frottolisti, the recordings feature period instruments and vocal techniques that reflect the diversity of Renaissance court music. The accompanying booklet and online resources provide translations and original texts of the letters, offering insight into Isabella's influence on musical creativity during her era. This collection is valuable for those interested in Renaissance music and the cultural history of Italian aristocracy.