Hor che Apollo

• Hor che Apollo, Barbara Strozzi (1619-1664)
• Instrumentation: Solo voice (soprano), maybe a harpsichord(??), violins, and possibly a cello.  The fact that this piece is the first to have instrumentation makes it very memorable to me.  I personally enjoy music much more when there are instruments and vocals.  Just as the richness of O Rubor Sanguinis is what stood out for me, this piece expanded on that element even further.  The more instruments, the richer the sound.  The woman's voice wasn't particularly memorable for me.  I really just enjoyed the instruments, in particular the violins.  Sometimes it felt like the vocal part and the instruments weren't coordinated.  The piece was a bit too long for me, but I did like it better when it picked up at around min. 7:20.  
• Texture: for most of the piece, the texture was thin, until it came together around as I said around 7:20, and then it sounded thicker.  
• Range: The singer certainly covers a wide range, leading the instruments with her.  This is an aspect of the piece where the vocals and instruments are together.
• Tempo: For the majority of the piece, the tempo is slow, but it does occasionally pick up, which I really appreciated.  The variance made the piece more exciting and enjoyable.
• Meter: I think that the meter remains constant throughout the piece, perhaps changing at the point where it speeds up.  I can't be sure but I think the majority of it is a triple beat, because it does feel as if you could waltz to it.
• Volume: the volume in this piece remains fairly constant.  I think that more variance in the volume could have given the piece more texture.
• It seemed that the purpose of this piece was to showcase the woman's voice.  I imagine this being performed at a social engagement of some kind in the 1600s, when knowledge of music was a sign of education and class.  This just goes to show how women in music played such a role in shaping culture throughout time, whether they are remembered or not.