Brillon Sonata in A Minor

I’m thrilled to find this video recording of Madame Brillon’s sonata by Filament in Philadelphia, published in June 2025. The three movements were recorded at Old Swedes Church, Philadelphia, and feature Evan Few, violin with Elena Kauffman, viola da gamba and John Walthausen, harpsichord.

The composer would have been at the harpsichord, and, as in other of her works, the violin and cello (or gamba) accompany the keyboard from time to time.

About Madame Brillon

Madame Brillon is who comes to mind first, along with Madame Helvetius, thinking about Franklin’s friends in Paris. They are deeply featured in Claude-Anne Lopez’s Mon Cher Papa and every other book or film about Franklin’s years in France following the Declaration of Independence.

About The Performers

Filament is a chamber ensemble, formed in 2019, of Philadelphia-based period-instrument soloists. Comprising a core trio of violin, viola da gamba, and keyboards, its respective founding members are Evan Few, Elena Smith, and John Walthausen. As constituents of the global early music community, they regularly join the ranks of such ensembles as Apollo’s Fire, Bach Collegium Japan, Chatham Baroque, New York City Opera, Philadelphia Bach Collegium, Tempesta di Mare, Venice Baroque Orchestra, and the Washington Bach Consort. As an ensemble, they share their collective passion for the rich trio repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries with audiences in Philadelphia, the Delaware River Valley, and beyond. Recent preoccupations include music of Northern Germany and Scandinavia, and cross-cultural music-making in Northern Europe.

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