House of Time

In 1752, literal street battles erupted in Paris over musical styles. The seismic impact of Pergolesi’s music made long simmering musical feuds with political overtones spill into actual meleés. This program traces the decades-long history of the musical rivalry between French and Italian musical styles that chipped away at the power of the aristocracy and still lingered in Mozart’s time, from the controversial first performances of Corelli’s music in Paris to Rameau’s operatic reform.