Convent connections: the musical networks of English convents in France, the exiled Stuart court and the Couperin family
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Exchanges between French and English musical cultures in early modern Paris have finally begun to receive more scrutiny over the past two decades. However, the role of educational institutions for English women and girls within these cultures has been widely overlooked. This article reveals new evidence regarding the place of exiled English convents and their schools within networks of French musicians and artists, using the English Augustinian Convent in Paris as a case study. In addition to providing insights into music education at the convent, this article re-evaluates a well-known portrait by Claude Lefèbvre of Charles Couperin and one of Lefèbvre’s daughters, showing that Lefèbvre’s daughters and their stepmother were long-term residents at the English Augustinian Convent. Evidence from the Diurnal of the English Augustinian Convent and the diary of Sir David Nairne shows the many visitors to, and exchanges of material objects with, English convents in France. Such evidence raises questions about whether his work as a musical copyist (the so-called ‘copiste Z’) might be reassessed for potential links to exiled English convents (particularly the four located in Paris). More broadly, this article demonstrates the need for further research into how musical practices and music education at exiled English convents interacted with local French musical institutions.
Source: Early Music
DOI: 10.1093/em/caaf029
Author: Caro Lesemann-Elliott
Language: English
Subfield: Music
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,178
OpenAlex ID: W4412409369