In 1979, Buffalo, NY-born musician William Christie founded the period instrument ensemble Les Arts Florissants (LAF), and 13 years ago he founded an annual summer music festival in the tiny, remote French village of Thiré. There are nightly grand performances of baroque operas and sacred compositions by LAF musicians, as well as Juilliard School of Music students, faculty, and alumni. Visitors are also treated to tours of the magnificent, meticulously planned and maintained gardens, and can stroll the sprawling property to enjoy brief casual performances by LAF musicians stationed throughout.
Today's Beautiful Music features one of those performances from this year's festival, which is going on this week. The breathtakingly talented harpsichord Béatrice Martin plays George Frideric Handel's Chaconne for Harpsichord in G HWV 435.
