During the twentieth century, the renewed interest in Baroque music and the growing appeal of vocal chamber works have brought about increased research pertaining to the cantate franqaise. Unfortunately, performances of'these charming works are limited because of the unavailability of modern editions and performers' hesitancy to deal with the ambiguities of French Baroque performance practice. This study is therefore intended to be a contribution to the survey of the eighteenth-century French solo cantata. The primary objective is to present a modern edition of the cantate franqaise, Le Passage de laMer Rouge (1708) by Elizabeth-Claude Jacquet de LaGuerre (ca. 1664-1729). Several supplementary chapters enhance the performer's understanding of the cantata. Chapter I deals with the cultural and social setting from which the work emerged. La Guerre's compositions reflect the musical tastes of her patron, Louis XIV, as well as the musical milieu of the popular Parisian salons
