<i>Il natal di Amore</i> by Giulio Strozzi: interactions and echoes with the early modern literary and operatic world and Monteverdi

As many scholars of early modern musical theatre certainly know,a careful perusal of literature not specifically meant for music may attimes hold pleasant surprises for the discerning musical scholar. Thismay be particularly rewarding in the study of the first decades ofVenetian opera, when librettists were often also active as novelistsand/or playwrights and were in any case affiliated to or personallyacquainted with members of the most outspoken literary academy ofthe early seventeenth century, the ‘Accademia degli Incogniti’, itselfvery closely involved in the establishment of public opera. Moreover, asseveral studies have shown, the conception and production of earlyopera libretti can be better understood if analysed within the context ofcontemporary purely literary works. And sometimes, as I will try toshow here, a literary work, in this case a theatre play, may both haveprovided inspiration for as well as have been inspired by musicaldrama. As I hope to demonstrate, the implication of these musico-literary interconnections is the partial disclosure of a tight network ofcultural products of the period and the significant role therein playedby Claudio Monteverdi’s operas, not the least also in providing uncon-ventional and alternative outlooks on gender and gender roles.