Upon the first listen, co-creator Charlotte Mungomery and I were completely captivated by the music of Barbara Strozzi. Her Op.1 Madrigals begin with a preamble in which she describes the act of composing as if taking flight and soaring among heavenly choirs.
This is the experience we wanted to capture on film. For the audience to take flight through a series of dreamlike vignettes. Sometimes floating. Sometimes rocketing. But always immersed in the beauty, joy, and charm of her music and poetry. Whilst there is no conventional storyline or characters, this film is anchored by an emotional narrative as we follow mezzo-soprano Anna Dowsley (playing a version of our Barbara) through a surreal landscape of human passion. We are inside the mind and imagination of this firebrand composer whose perspective on love is ardent, curious, cynical and awed. This is the world of Barbara Strozzi’s Op. 1 madrigals. A series of snapshots, short stories, and fleeting delights to drift and travel through.
-- Constantine Costi, Director
