¿¿lisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre: Judith & S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿

by Mailys de Villoutreys, Heloise Gaillard, Ensemble Amarillis

Overview

Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre was one of the first to be rediscovered in the wave of attention given to female composers, but there is still plenty of her music awaiting widespread performance. Here, Ensemble Amarillis, with an almost all-female ensemble (theorbist Marc Wolff doesn't get to pose with the group but does get a photo of his own), takes on two of de la Guerre's secular solo cantatas, and these have not been widely performed. One, in fact, receives its world premiere here in the instrumentation given. Both cantatas feature strong female figures, the head-slicing biblical Judith and Semele from Greek mythology. One can debate the proto-feminist aspect of de la Guerre's decision to set these texts, but they are exceptionally vivid settings, whatever the case may be. The recitatives, in particular, have strongly dramatic qualities; sample "C'en est fait" from the Judith cantata. Two of de la Guerre's instrumental works are also included (and streaming service listeners should note that they ended up in the wrong places; the cantatas should not be broken up). These also have many unusual qualities, with the Suite in G major featuring the lively recorder playing of Amarillis director Heloise Gaillard. In general, de la Guerre's music offers novel takes on the critical stylistic issue of the day, the mixture of Italian and French elements. This is essential listening for anyone who suspects that the new attention given to female composers is motivated by tokenism; this music is as compelling as anything else of its time. The Evidence Classics label furnishes another attraction in the form of excellent sound from the abandoned factory building called La Courroie near Avignon. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	12/30/2022
Label:	Evidence / Evidence Classics
UPC:	5051083179829
Rank:	190450

Tracks

1. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~Symphonie d'ouverture. Marquez
2. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~R¿¿citatif. Jupiter avait fait un indiscret serment
3. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~Air. Ne peut-on vivre
4. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~Pr¿¿lude. Bruit
5. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~R¿¿citatif et air. Mais quel bruit ¿¿tonnant se r¿¿pand... Quel ravage
6. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~Lentement et marquez. Quel appareil pompeux
7. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~Symphonie. Air gracieusement. Quel triomphe
8. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~Pr¿¿lude. Bruit
9. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~R¿¿citatif et air. Ah! quel embrasement... Je vois ce palais s'enflammer
10. Trio Sonata No. 3 in D Major~Aria affettuoso
11. S¿¿m¿¿l¿¿ (Cantates fran¿¿oises, 1715, No. 1) for soprano, violin, oboe & continuo~Dernier air. Lorsque l'amour nous encha¿¿ne
12. Trio Sonata No. 4 in G Minor for oboe, violin & continuo
13. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~Symphonie d'ouverture
14. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~R¿¿cit. Tandis que de la faim
15. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~Air. La seule victoire
16. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~R¿¿cit. Enfoncez le trait qui le blesse
17. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~Sommeil. Lentement
18. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~R¿¿cit. C'en est fait
19. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~R¿¿cit accompagn¿¿. Judith implore encore
20. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~De mouvement & marquez
21. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~Air. Le coup est achev¿¿
22. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~R¿¿cit. Courez, courez, courez Judith
23. Sonata for Violin and Continuo No. 1 in D Minor~Aria
24. Judith (Cantates fran¿¿aises sur des sujets tir¿¿s de l'¿¿criture, Livre I, 1708, No. 6)~Air. Chantons, chantons la gloire
25. Suite in G Major (Pi¿¿ces de clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le violon, Livre II, 1707)~Allemande tutti, violin & continuo
26. Suite in G Major (Pi¿¿ces de clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le violon, Livre II, 1707)~Courante flute 'de voix' & harpsichord
27. Suite in G Major (Pi¿¿ces de clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le violon, Livre II, 1707)~Sarabande harpsichord
28. Suite in G Major (Pi¿¿ces de clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le violon, Livre II, 1707)~Gigue soprano recorder, violin & continuo
29. Suite in G Major (Pi¿¿ces de clavecin qui peuvent se jouer sur le violon, Livre II, 1707)~Menuet. Rondeau violin & continuo soprano recorder, violin & continuo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mailys de Villoutreys   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Heloise Gaillard   Primary Artist,Oboe,Flute
Ensemble Amarillis   Primary Artist,Ensemble

Technical Credits

Heloise Gaillard   Liner Notes
Mary Pardoe   Text Translation,Liner Note Translation
Elizabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre   Composer
Catherine Cessac   Liner Notes
Alban Moraud   Artistic Director
Antoine Houdar de la Motte   Librettist
Elisabetta Sirani   Cover Art
Hugo Scremin   Mixing,Editing,Engineer,Mastering
Jef Rabillon   Photography
Louis Crepy   Engraving