7.2 Lully and the development of French opera

Jean-Baptiste Lully, an Italian-born French composer, revolutionized opera in 17th-century France. As court composer for King Louis XIV, he created a new genre called "tragédie en musique," blending French language, declamation, and dance elements.

Lully's operas featured a distinct style that set them apart from Italian works. His compositions emphasized elegance and restraint, incorporating recitative, aria, and dance. This approach became the model for French opera for nearly a century, influencing generations of composers.

Lully and the Development of French Opera

Lully's role in French opera

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• Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687), Italian-born French composer, played a pivotal role in establishing French opera as a distinct genre
• Appointed as the court composer for King Louis XIV in 1653, granting him significant influence and resources
• Collaborated with librettist Philippe Quinault to create a new operatic genre called "tragédie en musique" or "tragédie lyrique", which became the foundation for French opera
• Lully's operas characterized by a distinct French style that differed from Italian opera, emphasizing the French language, declamation, and incorporating elements of French dance (minuet, gavotte)
• Used a more restrained and elegant musical style compared to the virtuosic Italian style, setting a new standard for French opera
• Lully's operas became the model for French opera for nearly a century after his death, with his works performed regularly at the Paris Opera and influencing subsequent generations of French composers (Charpentier, Campra, Rameau)

Key features of Lully's style

• Lully's operas featured a combination of recitative, aria, and dance, each serving specific purposes within the work
  • Recitative advanced the plot and conveyed dialogue through a style of singing that mimics speech rhythms and inflections, accompanied by simple basso continuo (harpsichord, cello)
  • Arias conveyed emotions and characters' thoughts through more melodic and expressive singing, often with elaborate orchestral accompaniment
  • Dance formed an integral part of French opera, with Lully incorporating various forms (minuet, gavotte, passacaille) performed by the characters to advance the plot or express emotions
• Lully's operas also featured the French overture, which became a standard form in Baroque music
  • Overture consisted of a slow, majestic opening section with dotted rhythms, followed by a faster, fugal section, and concluding with a return to the slow, majestic section
  • This overture structure was widely adopted by other composers and used in orchestral suites and instrumental works

Influence on French Baroque music

• Lully's operas established a distinctly French style that greatly influenced subsequent generations of composers
  • Emphasis on French language, declamation, and dance became hallmarks of French opera, continued by composers like Charpentier, Campra, and Rameau in the tragédie lyrique genre
• Lully's influence extended beyond opera to instrumental music
  • French overture popularized and used in orchestral suites and other instrumental works
  • Elements of Lully's style incorporated by composers like Couperin and Rameau in their keyboard and chamber music
• Lully's operas also impacted the development of French ballet
  • Integration of dance in his operas paved the way for the emergence of ballet d'action in the 18th century
  • Choreographers (Beauchamp, Feuillet) developed a system of dance notation based on the dances in Lully's operas, furthering the art form