Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre painted by François de Troy

The 1600th Century seemed to be more favorable to women musicians. In Italian courts it was fashionable to have female singing groups and it was possible to be a professional musician.

In France, Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729), a composer and harpsichordist, started as a child prodigy who played for King Louis XIV at the age of five. She was born into an important family of musicians and had a career of virtuoso harpsichordist, which at the time was rare for a woman, as they wouldn’t actually perform in public.

She was married to an organist, Marin de La Guerre, and was known in her time in the French musical circles as an excellent musician. She was one of the very few woman (renowned) composers and performers of her time, and her works include several suites for harpsichord, trios and sonatas for violin and harpsichord. She is considered to be the first woman in France who wrote a ballet-opera.

Here is one of her sonatas for two violins cello obligato and harpsichord continuo:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8g8BVFuiw8