Sulpitia Cesis
Biography
Sulpitia Cesis was born in 1577 in Modena, Italy. She was an Italian composer as well as a well-regarded lutenist. Her father was Count Annibale Cesis and he gave 300 pieces of gold for her dowry upon entering the Augustinian convent in Modena in 1593. She was a nun at the convent of Saint Geminiano in Modena, although some sources report it as Saint Agostino. Her only known work is a volume of eight-part Motetti Spirituali, which she wrote in 1619.
Some scholars believe that the piece was composed earlier than 1619 because of its style. It is composed of 23 motets for 2–12 voices. Her work is different from other works being written at this time because it contains indications for instruments such as cornetts, trombones, violones, and archviolones.
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A bass part exists as well, which is interesting considering that this music was written for a group of cloistered nuns. One explanation is that this part was for the organ or viola da gamba. Sulpitia Cesis dedicated her collection to another nun of the same name, Anna Maria Cesis, who lived at the Convent of Santa Lucia in Rome. Both Sulpitia Cesis's and Anna Maria Cesis's convents were well known for their music.
Cesis is mentioned in Giovanni Battista Spaccini's chronicle of life in Modena, as the composer of a motet which was performed at the doors of San Geminiano in 1596 during a religious procession.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.