“Goforth… does not hold back.”

—The New York Times

Notes on the Program

By Byron Schenkman

Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre created a sensation when she was brought to the French court of Louis XIV as a five year old child prodigy. She remained a favorite composer of the king’s and one of very few composers of any gender allowed the honor of dedicating her works to him. Jacquet published two books of harpsichord music, six violin sonatas, three collections of cantatas, and an opera. Her violin sonatas are among the first published in France and show the influence of the Italian composer Isabella Leonarda whose sonatas she undoubtedly knew. Her keyboard pieces provide a hint of why she received such acclaim for her improvisatory skill and for her exquisite taste at the harpsichord. Her cantatas, many of which feature female protagonists, show a mastery of the dramatic vocal style of the day.