Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre (1666-1729) was born in Paris, France in 1666 to organ builder Claude Jacquet. From a very early age, her talents as a harpsichordist were prominent and she was allowed, against convention and law at the time, to play in the court of Louis XIV by the age of five. She left the court to get married in 1684 to organist Marin de la Guerre. 

Throughout her life she was known for her innovative compositions. She gave lessons in the city and was one of the first to publish a collection of harpsichord works in the sonata and cantata genres. She also composed vocal works for opera such as the tragédie lyrique, Céphale et Procris (1694) and Les jeux à l’honneur de la Victoire (1691) which were dedicated to Louis XIV. 

Suite #3 in A Minor: Allemande of the collection Les pièces de clavecin (1687) was one of a few collections that existed at the time. Not even male composers published albums such as she did. The collection is a variety of dances that are prefaced with a prelude and are grouped by key. Some of the notation is done with whole notes to give the performer the freedom to improvise the piece as they play with new timing or melodies/harmonies of choice. The song is slower with plenty of embellishments and ornaments. Complex top and bottom motives weave in and out to create an interesting melody transfer and a smooth, melodic bass line. The piece plays through with several repeats and reprises, never getting boring with all the trills and polyphonic homophonies spread throughout the piece, leaving the listener amazed at the masterpiece Jacquet de la Guerre created even in a time when she wasn’t supposed to be allowed to. (296)

Cessac, Catherine. “Jacquet De La Guerre, Elisabeth.” Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, 2001, https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.14084.

Cypess, Rebecca. “Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet De La Guerre.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 June 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elisabeth-Claude-Jacquet-de-la-Guerre.

Klotz, Hans. “Jacquet.” Edited by Catherine Cessac, Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, 2001, https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.14082.

Sadie, Julie Anne. “Jacquet De La Guerre, Elisabeth-Claude (Opera).” Grove Music Online, Oxford Online, 2002, https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O902423.

“File:Elisabeth_Jacquet_de_La_Guerre-Full.jpg.” Wikipedia , Wikipedia , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elisabeth_Jacquet_de_La_Guerre-full.jpg.