Overture and Passepied, and Passacaille from Cephale et Procris, g minor

Céphale et Procris is a Baroque opera by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, is one of the first French operas written by a woman. Premiering in 1694, the opera is based on a myth from ancient Rome about two lovers, Céphale and Procris, whose relationship is torn apart by jealousy and fate. The music reflects both the drama of the story and the elegance of the French court, where this kind of art flourished. These three selections show off Jacquet de la Guerre’s range. The Overture sets the stage with a moody, dramatic feel in G minor. The Passepied brings a lighter, dance-like energy, graceful and charming. The Passacaille, with its repeating bass line and slow build, gives us a deeper, more emotional sound. Together, they give a great glimpse into the emotional highs and lows of the full opera. When this opera was first performed, Louis XIV was still on the throne, and Versailles was the center of European culture. For a woman to compose and present a full opera at that time was pretty groundbreaking.

Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, composer

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre was a French composer and harpsichordist who became one of the most notable musicians of her time. Born in 1665, she was a child prodigy who performed for King Louis XIV as a young girl. She published a variety of music, including harpsichord pieces, cantatas, and sacred works. In 1694, she became the first woman in France to compose and have an opera performed publicly (Céphale et Procris). Despite the challenges women faced then, she gained respect for her skill and creativity. Her music combines the grace of French Baroque with expressive emotion, influencing generations after her. Jacquet de La Guerre’s work was rare for a woman in her era, helping open doors for future women composers.

The Four Seasons

Where you’ve heard it before
Each of the four seasons has been used numerous times in movies and tv shows including Fantastic Four, Pretty Woman, Bridgerton, John Wick, countless commercials, and more!

The Four Seasons is a famous set of four violin concertos, each representing a different season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Vivaldi wrote music that paints pictures of nature and the changing year. For example, you can hear birds singing and flowing streams in Spring, a thunderstorm and heat in Summer, harvest celebrations in Autumn, and icy winds and snow in Winter. The solo violin leads with lively, expressive melodies, capturing moods from joy to tension. When it was published in 1725, this music was fresh and innovative. It’s still one of the most popular and frequently performed pieces from the Baroque era, loved for its energy and vivid storytelling. In 1725, coffeehouses were becoming popular social spots across Europe. People gathered there to hear new music and discuss ideas, a lively place where Vivaldi’s music would have fit right in.

The text written by Vivaldi to accompany each season reads:

Summer – Concerto in g-minor
Allegro non molto
Beneath the blazing sun’s relentless heat
men and flocks are sweltering,
pines are scorched.
We hear the cuckoo’s voice; then sweet songs of the turtle dove and finch are heard.
Soft breezes stir the air….but threatening north wind sweeps them suddenly aside. The shepherd trembles, fearful of violent storm and what may lie ahead.

Adagio e piano – Presto e forte
His limbs are now awakened from their repose by fear of lightning’s flash and thunder’s roar, as gnats and flies buzz furiously around.

Presto
Alas, his worst fears were justified, as the heavens roar and great hailstones beat down upon the proudly standing corn.

Autumn – Concerto in F Major
Allegro
The peasant celebrates with song and dance the harvest safely gathered in.
The cup of Bacchus flows freely, and many find their relief in deep slumber.

Adagio molto
The singing and the dancing die away
as cooling breezes fan the pleasant air,
inviting all to sleep
without a care.

Allegro
The hunters emerge at dawn,
ready for the chase,
with horns and dogs and cries.
Their quarry flees while they give chase.
Terrified and wounded, the prey struggles on,
but, harried, dies.

Winter – Concerto in f-minor
Allegro non molto
Shivering, frozen mid the frosty snow in biting, stinging winds;
running to and fro to stamp one’s icy feet, teeth chattering in the bitter chill.

Largo
To rest contentedly beside the hearth, while those outside are drenched by pouring rain.

Allegro
We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling.
Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground and, rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up.
We feel the chill north winds coarse through the home despite the locked and bolted doors…
this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights.

Spring – Concerto in E Major
Allegro
Springtime is upon us.
The birds celebrate her return with festive song,
and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes.
Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven,
Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more.

Largo
On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches rustling overhead, the goat-herd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him.

Allegro
Led by the festive sound of rustic bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds lightly dance beneath the brilliant canopy of spring.

Antonio Vivaldi, composer

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, and priest, best known for his vivid concertos and operas. Born in Venice, Vivaldi was nicknamed “Il Prete Rosso” (“The Red Priest”) due to his red hair. Despite poor health, he became one of the most influential composers of his generation, shaping the development of the concerto form. Vivaldi spent much of his career working at the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian orphanage for girls, where he taught, composed, and led performances. It was here that he wrote many of his 500+ concertos, including The Four Seasons. His music was celebrated for its rhythmic energy, melodic invention, and colorful orchestration — qualities that influenced composers like Bach.Vivaldi’s music was nearly forgotten for centuries until manuscripts were found again in Italy in the early 1900s, sparking a revival of interest in his work.

Fairy Queen Suite

Henry Purcell’s Fairy Queen Suite is a delightful set of instrumental movements drawn from his semi-opera The Fairy Queen, which premiered in 1692. The semi-opera is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, filled with magical scenes, mischievous fairies, and enchanting music that brings the story’s whimsical spirit to life. The suite captures the charm and elegance of the Baroque era, with dance-inspired movements that vary from lively and playful to graceful and majestic. Purcell’s mastery lies in his ability to blend drama, lyricism, and rhythm in a way that feels both refined and full of life. Even centuries later, the Fairy Queen Suite continues to enchant audiences with its timeless blend of drama, dance, and fantasy. The Fairy Queen premiered during England’s Restoration period, a time of renewed interest in the arts following decades of political turmoil. It was performed at the Dorset Garden Theatre, a venue known for its elaborate stage machinery—perfect for bringing a magical forest full of fairies and enchantment to life.

Henry Purcell, composer

Henry Purcell is often considered England’s greatest Baroque composer. Born in London in 1659, he showed musical talent early on and was appointed to important royal music positions while still a teenager. Throughout his short life, he wrote a wide range of music from sacred works and court odes to chamber pieces, songs, and theater music.

Purcell had a unique ability to combine English musical traditions with the rich harmonies and expressive style of Italian and French Baroque music. His gift for melody, word-setting, and dramatic contrast made him especially successful in writing music for the stage. Works like Dido and Aeneas and The Fairy Queen are still widely performed today for their beauty and emotional impact. Even though he died young at age 36, Purcell left behind an impressive legacy and helped shape the future of English music. Purcell wrote music for the coronation of King James II, the funeral of Queen Mary, and the wedding of William and Mary, making him one of the key musical voices of royal England in the late 1600s.

Vernügte Ruh, beleebte Seelenlust from Cantata 170

Composed in 1726, Vernügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust is the serene opening movement of Bach’s solo cantata BWV 170. The piece immediately establishes a mood of calm introspection. It reflects a spiritual longing for inner peace and moral clarity, themes often explored in Bach’s sacred works. Unlike some of Bach’s larger, more dramatic cantatas, this movement is intimate and contemplative. The gently flowing lines of the voice and oboe weave together over warm harmonic support, creating a sound world that feels both timeless and deeply personal. It’s a meditative start to a cantata that invites listeners inward. Bach wrote this work while serving in Leipzig, during a particularly intense creative period in which he produced weekly cantatas. 

Johann Sebastian Bach, composer

Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most important and influential composers in Western music history. Born in Germany in 1685 into a large family of musicians, Bach spent his life working as an organist, composer, and teacher. His music covers almost every genre of the Baroque period, from church cantatas and organ works to chamber music, concertos, and large-scale choral pieces like the Mass in B minor and St. Matthew Passion. Though much of his music was written for church services or court jobs, Bach’s creativity and skill went far beyond the expectations of his time. His music is known for its emotional depth, technical brilliance, and perfect balance of structure and expression. During his time in Leipzig, Bach was expected to compose a new cantata almost every week for Sunday services. This was a demanding job by any standard. Even under that pressure, he produced some of his most beautiful and enduring music. While he wasn’t widely famous in his lifetime, Bach’s work was rediscovered in the 19th century and is now considered essential listening for musicians and audiences around the world.

Sinfonia to Easter Oratorio, BWV 249a

The Sinfonia that opens Bach’s Easter Oratorio is a wonderful instrumental work that captures the spirit of Easter morning. Written in 1725 for Leipzig’s Easter service, it bursts to life with trumpets, timpani, and lively strings, setting a tone of triumph and renewal. Unlike many of Bach’s church cantatas, the Easter Oratorio begins with this purely instrumental introduction, a musical celebration that speaks without words. Bach reworked some of the Oratorio’s material from earlier secular pieces, a common and clever practice in his time. But in this sacred context, the music takes on new energy and meaning. The Sinfonia unfolds in two parts: first, a bright and ceremonial movement full of fanfare; then a more graceful, dance-like section that adds contrast and charm. In 1725, as Bach premiered this work in Leipzig, Antonio Vivaldi was making waves in Venice with The Four Seasons. Both composers were reshaping how music could tell a story, whether about the resurrection or the changing of the seasons.