Ladies and Gentlemen: Program Notes
Jennifer Carpenter

There are only a handful of women composers whose names and music have survived from the 17th and 18th centuries. Women had few opportunities to obtain institutional posts (e.g. church or court). These positions afforded many male composers an opportunity to make a living through music. The small group of women who succeeded had powerful patrons, supportive families, and of course, determination and talent. Lost to history are the many compositions written by women who did not have the means to publish their works.

We are delighted to introduce you to a few women composers from the Baroque era who managed to find success in the rather male-dominated world of composers. Compositions by women during this era show the refinement of strong musical training and talent. However, because their music tended to be geared toward domestic music making, we don’t hear the virtuosity that is often present in the music that was intended for the public stage. This contrast is evident as we compare the music of Mrs. Philarmonica, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and Anna Bon to their male counterparts, Quantz, J.S. Bach, van Eyck, and D. Gabrielli.

The moniker Mrs. Philarmonica is all we know of this early 18th-century female baroque composer from England. The publisher Richard Meares of London published two collections of her works in 1715: a set of 6 trio sonatas for two violins with violoncello obbligato and continuo, as well as a set of 6 divertimenti for roughly the same ensemble makeup. The Sonata Prima in D Minor is the first piece in the set of 6 trio sonatas. These are charming miniature sonatas that would have worked well in the domestic sphere.

The French composer Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) worked successfully as a harpsichordist and composer in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. She hailed from a musical family - she likely received her training from her father, who was a harpsichord maker and organist. Later, she married an organist after which she dedicated herself to teaching and performing. Most importantly for her success, she published with the royal blessing of Louis XIV. Much of her music was published for domestic use, which likely contributed to her name being largely forgotten. Thankfully, we do have a number of her publications including works for solo harpsichord, violin sonatas, trio sonatas, and a few cantatas. During her time, she was often compared to more well-known French composers Couperin and Marais. Her sonatas, including the Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major show how masterfully she balanced the French compositional style with the incoming Italian sonata style of Corelli.

Anna Bon (b. 1739/40-?) was the prodigious child of two musical parents. Her mother was an operatic soprano whose voice took her all over Europe. Her father was a librettist, painter, and troupe leader. At the age of 4, she entered the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, a conservatory for musically talented girls - the same school where Vivaldi taught. Against the advice of the priests at the school, Bon defiantly chose to pursue music as a profession. In 1755, at the age of 15, Anna’s family was working in Bayreuth for Margrave Friedrich of Brandenburg Kulmbach and his wife Wilhelmine, who was the sister of Frederick the Great, both of whom were flutists. She published three collections of music while in Bayreuth: her opus 1 flute sonatas, opus 2 harpsichord sonatas, and opus 3 divertimenti for 2 flutes and continuo. Written at the age of 16, her Flute Sonata in D Major, op. 1 (here transposed to F Major), illustrates the mid-18th-century style in Germany at the time, where the more simple, melodic galant style was taking shape. Bon married a singer in 1767 at which point we lost any records of her. It appears her marriage ended her career.

Amarilli, mia bella by Jacob van Eyck (c.1590-1657) is a gentle transition back into the world of male composers, but is a piece about a woman. A goddess, to be exact - in a world where the goddesses wielded nearly as much power as their god counterparts. The story of Amaryllis begins in the pastoral tragicomedy Il Pastor Fido (1580-4) by Battista Guarini. Set in the semi-mythical Arcadia, we are thrown into a world where rustic simplicity, virtue, and morality prevail, the gods are venerated, and social distinctions are less rigid. It is not without its flaws, however, and this world will be tainted if the marriage of two descendents from gods does not occur. Much of the story revolves around the unrequited love between Amaryllis who is betrothed to Silvio (both descended from gods), but is in love with Mirtillo. The text of the song itself is Mirtillo expressing his love and frustration to Amaryllis.

Dominico Gabrielli (1659-90) is a relatively unknown composer from the baroque era. Born in Bologna, Gabrielli traveled a great deal around Italy as a cellist. He earned the nickname Mingéin dal viulunzèl (in Bolognese dialect, Mingéin is a diminutive of Domenico), or “Domenico of the cello”. His influence on the cello world is significant. At a time when the cello was coming into its own as a virtuosic solo instrument, Gabrielli composed some of its earliest solo music. A virtuosic cellist himself, his ricercares, like Ricecar Primo in G Minor, reflect both advanced cello technique and an acute awareness of the rich sonorities inherent in the instrument.

We have frequently presented the music of both Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773). Both represent immensely talented composers who benefitted from institutional positions that allowed them to compose freely and frequently. The virtuosity present in their works reflects their stature and expectations for the music to be performed publicly.

J.S. Bach’s Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G Major, BWV 1021 (ca. 1715-20) looks back to the Corellian distinction between sonatas performed for the church (sonata da chiesa) and those performed at home (sonata da camera). BWV 1021 is a church sonata represented by 4 distinct movements scattered with moments of virtuosity for both the violin and the continuo player.

The German flautist, composer, and theorist J.J. Quantz worked for Frederick the Great, a flute player himself. Quantz’s Trio Sonata in E Minor (QV 2:20) is characteristic of his earlier output: he heavily relies on contrapuntal complexities (elaborate melodies, imitation among all the voices) in the outer movements while the middle movement starts to look forward to the later galant style with it’s simpler melodies over a moving bass line. There are great similarities in style between Quantz’s compositions and Anna Bon’s, both of whom favored the use of flute in their compositions.