L’EMPEREUR
L’IMPERATRICE
THE EMPEROR

“If money go before, all ways do lie open” (Shakespeare - Merry wives of Windsor)

Shakespeare may have made use of many pre-existing (Italian) themes, but the rise of the nobleman as artistic entrepreneur in the late 16th Century could not have been ignored by anyone. Across Central Italy, the land was rife with composers of minor nobility - using their education and musical skill to enhance social stature and provide further opportunities. In certain cases, nobility was even “conferred” through musical prestige…

So why the sudden change in viewpoint?