Jean-Baptiste Lully (jan 1, 1632 – jan 1, 1687)
Description:
an Italian-born French composer, instrumentalist, and dancer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered a master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in 1661.Tragédie Lyrique: The Politics of Patronage
1. The first operas officially presented in France were performed by Italian musicians
who were loyal to Cardinal Mazarin.
2. French opera was bound to French politics, which evolved around Louis XIV.
3. The most important composer of French opera was the Italian Jean Baptiste Lully.
a. Lully essentially held a monopoly on French opera.
b. With his royal support, Lully defined an art form, and ultimately a national
identity.
C. Drama as Court Ritual
1. Lully’s tragédie lyrique was an outward expression of the grandeur and authority of
the State.
2. The opening ouverture sets the tone with majestic dotted rhythms, followed by a
section in a different meter that is polyphonic (and imitative). This is called a French overture.
a. It includes choral pageantry and suites of dances.
1) The king himself took part in these dances.
b. Ceremonial music was accompanied by les vingt-quatre violons du Roi.
1) The scoring was typically for five parts.
3. The lead singers in tragédie lyrique were typically actors, not professional singers like
castrati, because of the French audience’s disdain for virtuoso singing.
Atys, the King’s Opera
1. The subject of Atys relates a love triangle, and recent research suggests it mirrored an
actual situation at court involving the king, the queen, and the future queen.
2. The soliloquy beginning the third act illustrates Lully’s adherence to speech patterns,
eschewing elaborate vocal display.
3. Dance remains an important element. The middle of this act contains a famous sleep
scene, based on dance-like phrases, which moves from pleasant and dreamy to scary. The
orchestra and chorus paint a picture of a nightmare.
Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1632
jan 1, 1687
~ 55 years