It’s a Lyrical Life

Available for 28 days

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 Céphale et Procris ["Cephalus and Procris"] 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 Céphale et Procris ["Cephalus and Procris"] Act IV (excerpts) Déborah Cachet, soprano (Procris) Marc Mauillon, baritone/tenor (La Jalousie) Gert-Jan Verbueken, tenor (La Rage) Laurent Bourdeaux, baritone (Le Désespoir) Namur Chamber Choir a nocte temporis Reinoud van Mechelen, director 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