An Eyewitness Guide to Versailles.
Watch online here
Readers: Roberta Maxwell & Paul Hecht
Vita Wallace ~ violin
Jane McKinley ~ oboe
Lisa Terry ~ bass viol
Webb Wiggins ~ harpsichord
This dramatic musical entertainment combines French Baroque music with eyewitness accounts of life at Versailles, featuring actors Roberta Maxwell and Paul Hecht reading from the letters of Élisabeth Charlotte, sister-in-law to Louis XIV, and the memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon, a soldier, diplomat, and diarist. The program gives listeners an idea of daily life at the court.
Named in honor of John Dryden, the English poet laureate whose words inspired Baroque composers including Purcell and Handel, the Dryden Ensemble specializes in performing music of the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments. A line from Dryden's "Song to St. Cecilia" captures the essence of Baroque music and the ensemble's philosophy: "What Passion cannot Musick raise and quell!"
1:15–2:00 pm
All concerts are free; no tickets or reservations are necessary.
In person at St. Malachy's Church, 239 West 49th Street, Manhattan
Live stream details: You can watch it on your computer in any of two places by clicking on the name you wish: our website or YouTube.