A mini-presentation on Jean-Baptiste Lully for my Music History course.

2. EARLY LIFE
• Born in Florence, Italy, November 29,
1632
• Originally named Giovanni Battista
• Learned guitar and violin
• Likely from Franciscan friars
• Left for Paris, France in 1646 at the age
of 14

3. PARIS
• Appointed “garçon de chambre” to Anne-Marie-Louise d'Orléans
• Cousin of Louis XIV
• Known as the ‘Grande Mademoiselle’
• Completed his musical education while in this post
• Studied harpsichord, composition, and dance
• Dance
• Jean Regnault
• Lully’s instructor
• Became acquainted with dancers of the royal ballet
• Collaborated with Du Moustier in composing the music for Mascarade de la
Foire Saint-Germain
• Only the libretto survives

4. LOUIS XIV
• Lully entered Louis XIV’s service in 1651
• Jean Regnault became mâitre à danser du roi
• Dancing master of the King
• Ballet royal de la nuit
• Lully was 20 years old
• March 16, 1653
• Appointed to post of compositeur de la musique instrumentale
• Composer of instrumental music
• Lully’s talent for dance attracted Louis’ attention
• Lully was several years Louis’ senior
• Quickly gained a privileged relationship with Louis

5. THE 1660’S
• May 16, 1661
• Louis XIV begins personal reign of France
• Lully appointed surintendant de la musique de la chambre du roi
• Superintendent of the music of the king’s chamber
• December 1661
• Became naturalized citizen of France
• July 24, 1662
• Married Madeleine, daughter of composer Michel Lambert
• From the time of his appointment under King Louis XIV, Lully’s
reputation as a composer spread throughout Europe

6. OPERA
• Initially, Lully was not optimistic about the chances of French
opera
• The success of several operas in 1671 changed Lully’s opinion
• Used leverage with Louis XIV
• Became director of the Académie Royale de Musique
• April 28, 1673, was authorized to use the Palais Royal theatre for
free
• Lully prohibited the use of more than two voices and six violins;
rivals were not permitted to use dancers at all
• Louis XIV decided to have Lully’s works produced at court and
financed by the royal treasury

7. INNOVATIONS IN OPERA…
• Created a new French form of opera
• Tragédie en musique/tragédie lyrique
• Combination of drama, music, and ballet
• Each opera began with an ouverture (overture)
• Intended to mark the entry of the king and welcome him to the performance
• Comprised of two sections, each played twice
• The first is homophonic and majestic, the second is faster and occasionally employs
fugal imitation
• Divertissement
• Appeared at the center or end of each act
• Extended episodes that included choruses, dancing, and elaborate costumes and
choreography
• Direct continuation from French ballet tradition
• Adapted Italian recitative to French language
• Airs
• Lyrical moments
• Songs with rhyming text and regular meter
• Syllabic, tuneful melody, little text repetition

8. …AND ORCHESTRA
• Dictator-like control over orchestra
• Conducted with staff instead of baton
• Enforced uniform bowing and coordinated
ornaments
• Became the typical practice of modern orchestras

9. REFERENCES
Burkholder, J. P., Grout, D. J., & Palisca, C. V. (2010). France, England,
Spain, and the new world in the seventeenth century. A history of
western music (8th Edition ed., pp. 359-365). New York: W. W. Norton &
Company.
Jean-Baptiste Lully. (n.d.). Oxford Music Online. Retrieved October 18, 2011,
from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/4247
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