The Scriptural Cantatas "Esther" and "Jacob, Et Rachel" of Elisabeth -Claude Jacquet De La Guerre: Historical Context and Performance Practice

Abstract

This project explores two sacred cantatas of Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de La Guerre, Esther and Jacob, et Rachel . The cultural milieu in which the sacred cantatas of Jacquet de La Guerre were written and performed will be discussed, as well as possible venues for their original performances, including the Parisian salon, and the Royale maison de Saint-Louis a Saint-Cyr, an adjunct institution of the French royal court. An understanding of the historical context of these works will serve as a backdrop to a discussion of French performance practices, including aspects of meter and tempo, notes inegales, ornamentation, vocal vibrato, pronunciation, vocal and instrumental scoring, realization of basse continue, pitch, temperament, and tuning.