Elisabeth Jacquet De La Guerre (1665-1729)

Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) was a pioneer in the history of music, one of the first to bring sonatas and cantatas into the French repertoire, and the first woman in France to compose a performed opera. She explored and pushed further the possibilities of musical composition, as well as writing some of the most beautiful pieces of the Baroque era. She worked under the patronage of the most powerful figures of this Grand Siècle that saw the absolute reign of Louis XIV and the construction of his dreamed Versailles. And yet, there are still many elements of mystery and unknown in this composer's story. Kate Molleson invites you to (re)discover the extraordinary adventures of a gifted musician, with a soupçon of French flair and lots of gorgeous music.

In this first episode, a young Elisabeth Jacquet, born into a family of instrument makers and musicians from Paris, makes her performing debut. It's an event that makes quite an impression on the Sun King himself.

Harpsichord Suite (No. 6) in G major

from Pièces de Clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le Violon (1707)

IV. Gigue

Francesca Lanfranco, harpsichord

L'Isle de Délos ['The Island of Delos'] (excerpts)

from Cantates Françaises (1715)

Isabelle Desrochers, soprano

Ensemble des Idées heureuses

Harpsichord Suite (No. 2) in G minor

from Les Pièces de clavecin; Premier Livre (1687)

I. Prélude

II. Allemande

Elisabetta Guglielmin, harpsichord

Le Passage de la Mer Rouge ['The Crossing of the Red Sea'] (excerpts)

from Cantates Françaises, sur des Sujets Tirés de l'Écriture; Livre Premier (1708)

Luanda Siqueira, soprano

Le Tendre Amour

Sonata No. 1 in D minor

from Sonates pour le Violon et pour le Clavecin (1707)

Emmanuel Resche-Caserta, violin

Myriam Rignol, bass viol

Thomas Dunford, archluth

William Christie, harpsichord

Les Rossignols, dès que le Jour Commence (1721)

published in Recueil d'Airs Sérieux et à Boire de Différents Auteurs

Les Kapsber'girls

Harpsichord Suite (No. 1) in D minor

VII. Cannaris

VIII. Chaconne 'L'Inconstante

Marie van Rhijn, harpsichord

Presented by Kate Molleson

Produced by Julien Rosa

A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 3

A young Elisabeth Jacquet makes an impression on the Sun King.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

Kate Molleson explores the life and music of the queen of French baroque music, Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, from the heart of Paris to the golden setting of Louis XIV's court.

[LISTEN NOW]

Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) was a pioneer in the history of music, one of the first to bring sonatas and cantatas into the French repertoire, and the first woman in France to compose a performed opera. She explored and pushed further the possibilities of musical composition, as well as writing some of the most beautiful pieces of the Baroque era. She worked under the patronage of the most powerful figures of this Grand Siècle that saw the absolute reign of Louis XIV and the construction of his dreamed Versailles. And yet, there are still many elements of mystery and unknown in this composer's story. Kate Molleson invites you to (re)discover the extraordinary adventures of a gifted musician, with a soupçon of French flair and lots of gorgeous music.

In this second episode, we follow young Elisabeth Jacquet as she joins the court in Versailles, and the circle of the most powerful woman in France. She also publishes her first harpsichord pieces.

Sonata No. 5 in A minor

from Sonates pour le Violon et pour le Clavecin (1707)

III. Presto

Lina Tur Bonet, baroque violin

Patxi Montero, bass viol

Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord

Sémélé ['Semele'] (excerpts)

from Cantates françaises (1715)

Marie-Sophie Pollak, soprano

Ensemble 392

Harpsichord Suite (No. 3) in A minor

from Les Pièces de clavecin; Premier Livre (1687)

VII. Chaconne

VIII. Gavotte

IX. Menuet

Frances Conover Fitch, harpsichord

Sonata No. 2 in D major

Florence Malgoire, violin

Les Dominos

Sonata No. 1 in G minor (transcribed for organ)

from Sonates en Trio et pour Violon Seul et Basse Continue (1695)

V. Adagio

VI. Presto II

VII. Aria affettuoso

VIII. Becarre allegro

Vincent Genvrin, organ

Céphale et Procris ['Cephalus and Procris']

Act I, Scene 1: 'Lieux écartés, paisible solitude' (Procris)

Victoire Bunel, mezzo-soprano

Ensemble Il Caravaggio

Camille Delaforge, harpsichord/director

Harpsichord Suite (No. 4) in F major

I. Tocade

II. Allemande

III. Courante

IV. Seconde courante

V. Sarabande

VI. Gigue

Marie van Rhijn, harpischord

Presented by Kate Molleson

Produced by Julien Rosa

A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 3

Jacquet joins the court in Versailles and the circle of the most powerful woman in France.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

Kate Molleson follows young Elisabeth Jacquet as she joins the court in Versailles, and the circle of the most powerful woman in France, and publishes her first harpsichord pieces.

[LISTEN NOW]

Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) was a pioneer in the history of music, one of the first to bring sonatas and cantatas into the French repertoire, and the first woman in France to compose a performed opera. She explored and pushed further the possibilities of musical composition, as well as writing some of the most beautiful pieces of the Baroque era. She worked under the patronage of the most powerful figures of this Grand Siècle that saw the absolute reign of Louis XIV and the construction of his dreamed Versailles. And yet, there are still many elements of mystery and unknown in this composer's story. Kate Molleson invites you to (re)discover the extraordinary adventures of a gifted musician, with a soupçon of French flair and lots of gorgeous music.

In this third episode, we look at how Jacquet de La Guerre comes to create the very first performed opera written by a woman in France, in a musical landscape dominated by maestro Lully.

Céphale et Procris ['Cephalus and Procris']

Prologue: Overture

Cologne Baroque Orchestra

Holger Mester, conductor

Sonata (No. 3) in D major

from Sonates en Trio et pour Violon Seul et Basse Continue (1695)

Frances Conover Fitch, harpsichord

Jane Hershey, viola da gamba

Dana Maiben, baroque violin

Robert Mealy, baroque violin

Peter Sykes, harpsichord

Na'ama Lion, baroque flute

Act II: Entr'acte – Bourrée

Act III (excerpts)

Reinoud van Mechelen, tenor/haute-contre (Céphale)

Gwendoline Blondeel, soprano (Iphis)

Wei Lian Huang, soprano (Une suivante de la Volupté)

Namur Chamber Choir

a nocte temporis

Reinoud van Mechelen, director

Act IV (excerpts)

Déborah Cachet, soprano (Procris)

Marc Mauillon, baritone/tenor (La Jalousie)

Gert-Jan Verbueken, tenor (La Rage)

Laurent Bourdeaux, baritone (Le Désespoir)

Harpsichord Suite (No. 3) in A minor

from Les Pièces de clavecin; Premier Livre (1687)

I. Prélude

II. Allemande

III. Courante

Marie van Rhijn, harpsichord

Jacob et Rachel ['Jacob and Rachel']

from Cantates Françaises, sur des Sujets Tirés de l'Écriture; Livre Premier (1708)

Air: 'Cruel, quelle injustice extrême

Sophie Boulin, soprano

Guy Robert, theorbo/director

Françoise Bloch, viol

Brigitte Haudebourg, harpsichord

Presented by Kate Molleson

Produced by Julien Rosa

A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 3

Jacquet de La Guerre plunges into mythical stories to write her very first opera.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

Kate Molleson looks at how Jacquet de La Guerre comes to create the very first performed opera written by a woman in France, in a musical landscape dominated by maestro Lully.

[LISTEN NOW]

Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) was a pioneer in the history of music, one of the first to bring sonatas and cantatas into the French repertoire, and the first woman in France to compose a performed opera. She explored and pushed further the possibilities of musical composition, as well as writing some of the most beautiful pieces of the Baroque era. She worked under the patronage of the most powerful figures of this Grand Siècle that saw the absolute reign of Louis XIV and the construction of his dreamed Versailles. And yet, there are still many elements of mystery and unknown in this composer's story. Kate Molleson invites you to (re)discover the extraordinary adventures of a gifted musician, with a soupçon of French flair and lots of gorgeous music.

In this fourth episode, we see how Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre is among the first to develop the sonata in French music, and how she portrays legendary heroines in her series of cantatas.

Sonata in A minor

from Sonates en Trio et pour Violon Seul et Basse Continue (1695)

II. Allegro – Bemol

Ensemble La Rêveuse

Benjamin Perrot, director

Harpsichord Suite (No. 5) in D minor

from Pièces de Clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le Violon (1707)

I. La Flamande

II. Double

Frances Conover Fitch, harpsichord

Suite (No. 6) in G major

Ensemble Amarillis

Héloïse Gaillard, director

Sonata No. 3 in F major

from Sonates pour le Violon et pour le Clavecin (1707)

II. Presto - Adagio

III. Presto

IV. Aria

V. Adagio

Jonas (excerpts)

from Cantates Françaises, sur des Sujets Tirés de l'Écriture; Livre Premier (1708)

Isabelle Desrochers, soprano

Chantal Rémillard, baroque violin

Margaret Little, bass viol

Dorothéa Ventura, positive organ/harpsichord

Judith (excerpts)

Maïlys de Villoutreys, soprano)

Presented by Kate Molleson

Produced by Julien Rosa

A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 3

While posing for a portrait and moving back home, Jacquet shines with her sonatas.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

Kate Molleson sees how Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre is among the first to develop the sonata in French music, and how she portrays legendary heroines in her series of cantatas.

[LISTEN NOW]

Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) was a pioneer in the history of music, one of the first to bring sonatas and cantatas into the French repertoire, and the first woman in France to compose a performed opera. She explored and pushed further the possibilities of musical composition, as well as writing some of the most beautiful pieces of the Baroque era. She worked under the patronage of the most powerful figures of this Grand Siècle that saw the absolute reign of Louis XIV and the construction of his dreamed Versailles. And yet, there are still many elements of mystery and unknown in this composer's story. Kate Molleson invites you to (re)discover the extraordinary adventures of a gifted musician, with a soupçon of French flair and lots of gorgeous music.

In this fifth episode, we conclude Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre's story, as she writes airs for the theatre and musical thanks for a new young king; and is still composing bold new music.

Harpsichord Suite (No. 5) in D minor

from Pièces de Clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le Violon (1707)

IX. Rigaudon

X. Rigaudon II

XI. Charconne

Frances Conover Fitch, harpsichord

Le Sommeil d'Ulysse ['Ulysses' Sleep'] (excerpts)

from Cantates Françaises (1715)

Isabelle Desrochers, soprano

Les Voix Humaines

Christine Payeux, viola da gamba/director

Le Raccomodement Comique de Pierrot et de Nicole ['Pierrot and Nicole's Comical Reconciliation'] (1715)

Isabelle Poulenard, soprano

Michel Verschaeve, baritone

Françoise Bloch, viol

Georges Guillard, harpsichord

Trio Sonata in G minor

from Sonates en Trio et pour Violon Seul et Basse Continue (1695)

Ensemble Diderot

Johannes Pramsohler, baroque violin/director

Air à boire La Provençale: 'Entre nous mes chers amis' ['Drinking Song La Provençale: 'Between us, dear friends']

from Recueil d'Airs Sérieux et à Boire de Différents Auteurs (1724)

Anne Azéma, soprano

Harpsichord Suite No. 6 in G major

III. Sarabande

Elizabeth Farr, harpsichord

Sonata in A minor

Sophie de Bardonnèche, violin

Lucile Boulanger, viola da gamba

Justin Taylor, harpsichord

Céphale et Procris ['Cephalus and Procris']

Prologue (excerpts)

Reinoud van Mechelen, tenor/haute-contre (Céphale)

Lore Binon, soprano (Flore)

Lisandro Abadie, bass-baritone (Pan)

Gwendoline Blondeel, soprano (Nymphe)

Wei Lian Huang, soprano (Nymphe)

Namur Chamber Choir

a nocte temporis

Reinoud van Mechelen, director

Team of the week

Presenter: Kate Molleson

Producer: Julien Rosa

Production Coordinator: Ellie Phillips

Mixing: Jonathan Thomas

Composer of the Week is a BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 3

Jacquet de La Guerre brings us to the fair, and still explores new musical territories.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

Kate Molleson concludes Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre's story, as she writes airs for the theatre and musical thanks for a new young king; and still composing bold new music.

[LISTEN NOW]