A Baroque Portrait: Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre
Two nights of celebrating French Baroque music and a female composer who broke barriers.
Saturday, December 27, 4pm (Great Barrington)
Sunday, December 28, 4pm (Lakeville)
Crescendo presents "A Baroque Portrait: Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre," a New Year’s solo recital highlighting the work of one of the most remarkable composers of the French Baroque. A celebrated virtuoso and a rarity in her time, Jacquet de la Guerre distinguished herself not only as a prominent female composer but also for her bold range, writing across forms and genres that were often closed to women in the 17th and early 18th centuries.
The program features sonatas for solo violin and basso continuo, along with her Suite in D minor for harpsichord, offering a nuanced portrait of her expressive and technically adventurous style. Works by her contemporary, Louis-Gabriel Guillemain, including caprices for solo violin, round out the evening, placing her music in dialogue with the broader French Baroque tradition.
Tickets are $45 and $15 for youth; featuring Edson Scheid on baroque violin, Christine Gevert and harpsichord. Saturday’s concert takes place at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, MA; Sunday’s performance is held at Trinity Church in Lakeville, CT.
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Francesca Olsen is a writer, digital communications consultant and textile artist focuses on the heritage, ritual, magic, and the power held in objects and stories.
