The San Diego Shakespeare Society
Celebrating the Bard's Works Since 2002
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Shakespeare and Emilia: The Untold Story – VIRTUAL presentation
December 11, 2022 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Reserve a spot and find the Zoom link in your “My Tickets” – RSVP on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shakespeare-and-emilia-the-untold-story-virtual-presentation-tickets-471421052057
Emilia Bassano was identified as the Dark Musical Lady of the Shakespeare Sonnets by A.L.Rowse in 1973. This book presents previously unpublished evidence to prove that Rowse’s identification was correct. Emilia, an early feminist poet and musician, was the daughter of the youngest of six Venetian brothers, all professional musicians, brought to London by HenryVIII in 1540 to ensure a musical wedding for Anne of Cleves.
Learn more about the book here.
Peter Bassano, the author and a descendent of Emilia’s uncle, Anthony, suggests that Shakespeare was the father of Emilia’s son, Henry. Shortly after the child’s birth in May 1593 Shakespeare took a trip to Northern Italy with three of Emilia’s musician cousins travelling through towns well known to Shakespeare lovers as the setting of his early plays. The book does not agree with the views of John Hudson and Peter Matthews that Emilia wrote the Shakespeare canon. He believes that Shakespeare was Shakespeare but that Emilia was hugely influential on Shakespeare’s writing, particularly in his outspoken heroines.
Peter Bassano
Peter is descended from a family of Venetian musicians brought to England by Henry Vlll. He studied trombone and singing at the Royal College of Music, where until 2004 he was Professor of Trombone and Sackbut and Head of Brass. He has studied conducting with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Elgar Howarth, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Roger Norrington, Jorma Panula and Bramwell Tovey. Bassano has been Music Director of the Oxford University Sinfonietta, The Virtuosi of the Mannheim Court, The City of Rochester Symphony Orchestra, the professional choir, The Gentlemen of the Chappell, The Equale Baroque Players, Wendover Choral Society, City of Cambridge Brass Band and Oxford Touring Opera. He is the author of two books, Shakespeare and Emilia (2020) and Before the Music Stopped (2021).
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