CHAISTAIGNERAIS, Mme De La

Madame de la Chaistaignerais was a French woman composer active around the end of the seventeenth century. Almost nothing is presently known about her biography, including her given name, dates of birth and death, or musical training. Her existence as a composer is documented through a printed collection issued in Paris in 1699. hmt-leipzig.de
She is represented in Suite d’Airs à danser de differents autheurs, recueillis par Philidor l’aîné, published by Christophe Ballard in Paris in 1699. The collection brought together dance music by composers associated with French court culture and includes music attributed to “Mme de la Chaistaignerais,” alongside works by figures such as André Danican Philidor, Jean-Baptiste Lully and several other women, including Mme la Dauphine, Mme de la Rochenard and Mme de Noüailles. lubranomusic.cdn.bibliopolis.com
Her appearance in this royal-era printed anthology is significant because it provides documentary evidence of women participating in composition within the musical environment of late seventeenth-century France. However, no substantial biographical record or larger body of works has yet been securely identified.