español | français Jacquet de la Guerre John Eliot Gardiner 10 CDs for a desert island : Ian Bostridge Venetain opera   53 - 52 - 51 - 50 - 49 - 48 - 47 - 46 - 45 - 44 - 43 - 42 - 41 - 40 - 39 - 38 - 37 - 36 - 35 - 34 - 33 - 32 - 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 09 - 08 - 07 - 06 - 05 - 04 - 03 - 02 - 01 - JACQUET DE LA GUERRE By Catherine Cessac. Translated by Marcia Hadjimarkos Women composers are still considered an unusual phenomenon, and the subject has always given rise to unanswered questions. From the Middle Ages on, numerous women have turned to composition, despite the difficulties implicit in their choices. Several women were devoted to the art of composition during the reign of Louis XIV. They primarily wrote harpsichord pieces and songs, and included Louise Henriette de Mars and Misses Bataille, Denis, Herault, Herville, Laurent, de Ménetou and Sicard. Only a few of these women’s works have survived; these are not numerous enough to allow one to form an opinion about them. Two other women from the same period are particularly interesting. The first, the Venetian Antonia Bembo, arrived in Paris around the age of thirty and spent the rest of her days in the convent of the Petite Union Chrétienne des Dames de Saint-Chaumont as a pensioner of the king. From her convent Bembo composed numerous religious and secular pieces dedicated to Louis XIV or to members of the royal family. Some of her compositions, such as the Te Deum for chorus and orchestra, were written on a large scale. Another important work is her 1707 opera Ercole amante, written to a libretto by Francesco Buti (which Cavalli had set almost fifty years earlier). The second woman, the major female figure of Louis XIV’s reign, is the proudly named Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, a harpsichord player of prodigal talent. As a young girl her abilities were praised by the king and his court, while in later years she enjoyed a successful career and received high praise for her compositions in addition to her performances. Biography Work catalogue Discography Goldberg Articles ABOUT US | CONTRIBUTE   web map - home page - cover Legal warning Copyright 2003, Goldberg. info@goldberg-magazine.com