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ased on a poem by Francesco Petrarch. “Gran miracol d’amore” is based on a poem by Jacobo
Sannazaro. The texts both emphasize the paradoxical nature of love, that it causes both joy and
pain, anticipation and fear.
This sentiment mirrors the pieces we have already discussed and is a common theme
throughout all of Casulana’s works. Casulana’s choice of poetic texts, as I’ve stated earlier,
reveals an appreciation for and familiarity with the famous poets of the era, such as Petrarch,
Quirino, Sannazaro, Aquilano, whose poetic texts dwell on philosophical or mythological
themes. Unlike some other female composers, both earlier and later than her time, Casulana’s
repertory does not contain laments in the traditional sense. Speaking of female composers of the
Middle Ages, Maria Coldwell mentions the traditional tropes of the “woman’s song,” such as the
loss of a lover, the parting of lovers, or the song of the unhappily married woman. 83 Obviously,
the genres and time periods do not align, but similar tropes can be found in the music of Barbara
Strozzi. For example, “Lagrime mie” (1659) speaks of the pain of separation of lovers. Casulana
seems to have specifically chosen less emotionally charged texts, like the lament, or a traditional
“woman’s song,” in favor of more pensive, thought-provoking, or humorous texts. The texts of
“Ahi possanza d’amor” and “Gran miracol d’amore” fit that description; they are both studies in
the subtle balance between honest discussions of love and life and the tongue-in-cheek humor of
love and sex.
83 Maria V. Coldwell, “Jongleresses and Trobairitz: Secular Musicians in Medieval France,” in
Women Making Music: The Western Art Tradition, 1150-1950, ed. Jane Bowers and
Judith Tick (Chicago: University of Illinois Press: 1986), 47.
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