Boston Early Music Festival Presents: ACRONYM

Queen Christina’s Playlist: Music of Corelli, Alessandro Scarlatti, Cavalli, and others

Fiercely intelligent and independent, Queen Christina of Sweden forged a path that brought her to the center of the European political and cultural landscape that emerged from the turmoil of the Thirty Years’ War. Confidante of popes and monarchs, fluent in eight languages, and friend and patron to artists, musicians, and intellectuals across Europe, her musical palate was particularly diverse and sophisticated, encompassing the latest music from England, France, Germany, and Italy, where composers including Cavalli, Scarlatti, and Corelli would dedicate works to her. The always-engaging instrumentalists of ACRONYM have assembled a “royal playlist” of works associated with Christina’s travels and patronage over the course of her career in major cultural centers across the continent. These works showcase the best music of mid-17th-century Europe and testify to the taste and power of this exceptional woman.