In the Salon of La Brillante

Rebecca Cypess, harpsichordist and lecturer, and Yi-heng Yang, fortepianist, present the Susie O. Montgomery Lecture(-Recital) at the American Philosophical Society on Thursday, September 14, 2017. RSVP at https://www.amphilsoc.org/events/3832

Building on our work on Sara Levy, The Raritan Players are now embarking on their next extended project on the salon of Madame Brillon, a composer and keyboardist whose glittering salon was the toast of Enlightenment Paris, frequented by Benjamin Franklin among many others. As Franklin wrote,

"Mde. Brillon [is] a Lady of most respectable Character and pleasing Conversation. Mistress of an amiable family in this Neighbourhood, with which I spend an Evening twice in every Week. She has among other Elegant accomplishments that of an Excellent Musician, and with her Daughters who sing prettily, and some friends who play, She kindly entertains me and my Grandson with little Concerts, a Dish of Tea and a Game of Chess. I call this my Opera; for I rarely go to the Opera at Paris."

Benjamin Franklin to William Carmichael, 17 June 1780.