Anna Renzi

Anna Renzi (c.1620-after 1660) was a leading Italian opera singer of the mid-17th century, renowned for her acting ability as well as her voice. She has been described as the first prima donna. She sang in Rome and Venice, where she appeared in the role of Ottavia in the premiere of Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea". She was the subject of "Le glorie della signora Anna Renzi" (1644), a collection of encomiums edited by Giulio Strozzi, which has been called "one of the first operatic fan books".

References

*"The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera" (ed. Parker, 1994)