Jean-Baptiste Lully on Music Theory Print

Achille et Polyxène

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Analysis of the libretto and music#

The libretto for this opera differs from those of Lully’s earlier works with Philippe Quinault. Typically, Lully would begin his operas with a lively prologue, but this work has a somber prologue in which the Muses lament the king’s desire for military expansion. Another difference is the tragic and somber ending of this opera in Act V. Lully usually ended his operas with a rousing ensemble number but this opera closes with the suicide of the heroine. The end of Act IV, the wedding scene, does contain a vibrant ensemble number at its close which would be more in keeping with a typical finale of one of Lully’s operas.

Acis et Galatée

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance history#

The opera was premiered by the Académie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera) at the Château d’Anet on 6 September 1686 (without machines) and later at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris on 17 September 1686. It was revived multiple times before the French Revolution and Madame de Pompadour appeared in one production.

Synopsis#

The story is of a love triangle between the three main characters—Acis, Galatea, and Poliphème. Poliphème murders Acis out of jealousy, but Acis is revived and turned into a river by Neptune.

Alceste (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Prologue#

The Nymph of the Seine longs for Louis XIV to return from battle. A Soprano assures her that he follows Glory and will return. A celebration of the pastoral divinities commences.

Act 1#

The scene shows a port in Thessaly where we see a great ship, decorated and prepared for a festival, at anchor alongside several warships. A grand festival is planned for the wedding of Alceste and Admète, the king of Thessaly. Alcide, who also loves Alceste, tells his man Lychas that he would prefer not to attend the wedding, so as not to suffer unnecessarily. Lychas persuades him to stay until nightfall, so as not to invite gossip. In the next scene, Lychas and Straton each claim that Céphise has professed to love them, but neither believes the other, each thinking himself to be her only lover. Lychas then leaves Straton with Céphise, and eavesdrops on them. Céphise admits to her inconstancy, but is unapologetic. Straton is indignant, having been faithful to her for two years. Lycomède enters and interrupts the dialogue between Céphise and Straton. Lycomède also loves Alceste, but he seems to be more at peace with his rejection than Alceste, even undertaking to help plan the day’s festivities. Later, during the festivities, Lycomède and Straton lead Céphise and Alceste onto Lycomède’s ship, explaining that this is part of the entertainment. But before Alcide and Admète have had time to board, the gangway collapses into the sea. The boat then leaves and sets sail for Scyros with Céphise and Alceste on board. It is revealed that Lycomède, with Straton’s help, had been plotting to kidnap Alceste for revenge on Admète. The Thessalonians try to get in their own ships and give chase, but the goddess Thétis, Lycomède’s sister, commands the North Winds to create a violent storm so as to protect her brother’s flight. But soon, the god Éole intervenes. He calms the storm and sends the gentle West Winds to displace the North Winds, allowing Admète’s ships to chase the traitors all the way to Scyros.

Amadis (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance history#

Amadis was the first tragédie en musique to be based on chivalric rather than mythological themes; Lully’s last three completed operas followed in this course. King Louis XIV chose the theme. In the dance troupe the principal male dancers were Pierre Beauchamp, Louis-Guillaume Pécour and Lestang, and the principal female dancers were La Fontaine, Carré and Pesan. There were eight revivals of the opera in Paris between 1687 and 1771. Between 1687 and 1729 it was produced in Amsterdam, The Hague, Marseille, Rouen, Brussels, Lunéville, Lyon, and Dijon. Today the most famous aria from Amadis is Amadis’ much anthologized monologue from act two, “Bois épais”. At the beginning of the same act Arcabonne sings “Amour, que veux-tu de moy?”, as once did ’every cook in France’, according to Le Cerf de la Viéville (Comparaison, 1704–6)

Armide (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance history#

Armide was first performed on 15 February 1686 by the Paris Opera at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, with scenery by Bérain, in the presence of the Grand Dauphin. The subject for the opera was chosen for Lully by King Louis XIV. However, the king would not attend the première or any of the following performances, possibly because Lully was involved in a homosexual scandal. The opera was well received by the Parisians and was revived by the Paris Opera in 1703, 1713–14, 1724, 1746–47, 1761, and 1764. Between 1686 and 1751 Armide was mounted in Marseille, Brussels, Lyon, Lunéville and perhaps Metz, and was also produced abroad in The Hague, Berlin (with revisions by Carl Heinrich Graun) and apparently, in two concert performances, in Rome. On 5 November 2005, almost 320 years later, Opera Atelier of Toronto gave Armide its North American premiere under conductor Andrew Parrott and music director David Fallis.

Atys (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance history#

Although Atys was met with indifference by Paris audiences, it became known as “the king’s opera” because of Louis XIV’s fondness for it; it was given at the Château de Fontainebleau in August 1677 and repeated at Saint-Germain in 1678 and 1682. It was revived at the Palais-Royal in November 1689, August 1690, 31 December 1699, 29 November 1708, 28 November 1709, 23 December 1725, 7 January 1738, and 7 November 1747. It was given concert performances at the Château de Versailles in June 1749 and June 1751 and at Fontainebleau (without the prologue) on 17 November 1753. It was first performed at The Hague in 1687, Marseille in February 1689, Lyon on 7 August 1689, Brussels on 19 November 1700, and Lille in 1720. The first modern revival was conceived as a touring production staged by with the early music group Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie and choreography by . Initially a coproduction of the Teatro Comunale in Florence and the Montpellier Opera, Later billed as a Paris Opera presentation, Performances later that year at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York were the opera’s American premiere. and performed at the Salle Favart. An HD video was issued and was the runner-up for the 2012 Gramophone Awards category DVD Performance. The recreated production was also performed at the Théâtre de Caen, Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, Royal Opera of Versailles and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Bellérophon

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

The queen Sténobée (soprano), spurned by Bellérophon (tenor) who loves the princess Philonoé (soprano), has the magician Amisodar (bass) turn the garden into a barren desert and summon a chimera which terrorizes the country of Lycia. Apollo (tenor) appears and all is solved.

Modern performances#

The first performance in modern times was by Les Talens Lyriques conducted by Christophe Rousset at the Festival of Beaune, 24 July 2010. It was followed by a two performances in Paris, the first of which was recorded and released in 2011 by the record label Aparté.

Cadmus et Hermione

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Recordings#

2019: Le Poème Harmonique (orchestra), Ensemble Aedes (chorus), Vincent Dumestre (conductor). Soloists: Thomas Dolié (Cadmus, baritone), Adèle Charvet (Hermione, mezzo-soprano), Eva Zaïcik (Charite, mezzo-soprano), Lisandro Abadie (Arbas/Pan, baritone), Nicholas Scott (La Nourrice/Dieu Champêtre, tenor), Virgile Ancely (Draco/Mars, bass), Guilhem Worms (Le Grand Sacrificateur/Jupiter, bass-baritone), Marine Lafdal-Franc (Pallas/Aglante/L’Hymen/Palès, soprano), Enguerrand De Hys (Le Soleil/Premier Prince Tirien, tenor). Recorded 25 to 28 November 2019 at the Château de Versailles. Label: Château de Versailles Spectacles, 2 CDs.

References#

Sources * Lois Rosow, “Cadmus et Hermione,” Grove Music Online, . * Centre de Musique Baroque Versailles website, http://www.cmbv.com. ru

George Dandin ou le Mari confondu

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characters and original cast#

Georges Dandin (George Dandin), husband of Angelica: Molière
Angelica (Angélique), Georges Dandin’s wife: Mlle Armande Béjart Molière
Sir Sotenville (Monsieur de Sotenville), Angelica’s father: Du Croisy
Mrs Sotenville (Madame de Sotenville), Sir Sotenville’s wife: Louis Béjart, later André Hubert (both cross-dress males)
Clitandre (Clitandre), charming gallant, in love with Angelica: La Grange
Claudine, Angelica’s servant: Mlle de Brie
Lubin, Clitander’s servant: La Thorillière
Colin, Dandin’s servant

Isis (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance history#

Isis was revived only once during the remaining 38 years of Louis XIV’s reign, on 14 February 1704. It was revived again in 1717–1718 and 1732–1733.

Roles#

The ballets were danced by Pierre Beauchamp, Louis Pécourt, Magny, and Boutteville.

Prologue#

The prologue, which includes the usual paean to Louis XIV, takes place in the palace of Fame (La Renommée) with Rumors (Rumeurs) and Noises (Bruits) dancing in attendance to the goddess. When Fame sings of “the glory and triumphant valor of the greatest of heroes,” she is referring to Louis XIV. She is visited by Apollo with his retinue of Muses, who arrive from the sky, and Neptune with his retinue of Tritons, who arrive from the sea. Both groups are equipped with violins, lutes, and trumpets. When Neptune sings of the conqueror’s recent adventures at sea, he is referring to the French naval victory over the Dutch and Spanish in 1676 in the Franco-Dutch War.

L'Amour médecin

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sganarelle#

A bourgeois whose attention span is limited to his own egoistic ambitions, Sganarelle is blind to his daughter’s love life.

Lucinde#

The daughter of Sganarelle who is in love with Clitandre.

Lisette#

Lucinde’s maid who acts as her advisor. She is not afraid to talk back to her master (Sgaranelle) or to show her disdain for doctors.

Secondary#

*Clitandre: In love with Lucinde

Doctors#

The doctors are all based upon real life doctors who lived during the 17th century. All are the same in the fact that they always try to save face and generally act foolishly. However, when it comes to a diagnosis they always tend to disagree. They feel it is more important to follow the rules laid by famous physicians such as Hippocrates than to save the patient. Any alteration from path that would ruin their reputation. Always out to make money, they are really just charlatans as they have no useful knowledge of medicine. *Monsieur Tomès: Favours bloodletting as a treatment *Monsieur Des Fonanadrès: Favours emetic as a treatment *Monsieur Macroton: When speaking, draws out each word in an exaggerated fashion *Monsieur Bahys: Speaks with a stammer *Monsieur Filerin: A powerful doctor who is well respected. Tells Tomès and Des Fonanadrès not to fight in front of other people because it makes them suspicious and less respectful of the medical profession.

La Princesse d'Élide

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bibliography#

Garreau, Joseph E. (1984). “Molière”, vol. 3, pp. 397–418 in McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama, Stanley Hochman, editor in chief. New York: McGraw-Hill. .
Lancaster, Henry Carrington (1936). A History of French Dramatic Literature in the Seventeenth Century. Part III: The Period of Molière 1652–1672. New York: Gordian Press (1966 reprint). .
Powell, John S. (2000). Chapter 15: “The Public Reception of a Court Success: La Princesse d’Élide”, pp. 337–353, in his Music and Theatre in France 1600–1680. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .
Wine, Kathleen (2002), “Princesse d’Élide, La”, pp. 391–392, in The Molière Encyclopedia, edited by James F. Gaines. Westport, Connecticut/London: Greenwood Press. .
Thompson, Ian (2006), pp. 134-135, in The Sun King’s Garden, London: Bloomsbury Publishing Inc. .

External links#

Livret (1665), Gallica

Le Bourgeois gentilhomme

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

The play takes place at Mr. Jourdain’s house in Paris. Jourdain is a middle-aged “bourgeois” whose father grew rich as a cloth merchant. The foolish Jourdain now has one aim in life, which is to rise above this middle-class background and be accepted as an aristocrat. To this end, he orders splendid new clothes and is very happy when the tailor’s boy mockingly addresses him as “my Lord”. He applies himself to learning the gentlemanly arts of fencing, dancing, music and philosophy, despite his age; in doing so he continually manages to make a fool of himself, to the disdain of the Dancing Master and the Music Master. His philosophy lesson becomes a basic lesson on language in which he is surprised and delighted to learn that he has been speaking prose all his life without knowing it. : Madame Jourdain, his intelligent wife, sees that he is making a fool of himself and urges him to return to his previous middle-class life, and to forget all he has learned. A cash-strapped nobleman called Dorante has attached himself to M. Jourdain. He secretly despises Jourdain but flatters his aristocratic dreams. For example, by telling Jourdain that he mentioned his name to the King at Versailles, he can get Jourdain to pay his debts. Jourdain’s dreams of being upper-class go higher and higher. He dreams of marrying a Marchioness, Dorimène, and having his daughter Lucile marry a nobleman. But Lucile is in love with the middle-class Cléonte. Of course, M. Jourdain refuses his permission for Lucile to marry Cléonte. Then Cléonte, with the assistance of his valet Covielle and Mme Jourdain, disguises himself and presents himself to Jourdain as the son of the Sultan of Turkey. Jourdain is taken in and is very pleased to have his daughter marry foreign royalty. He is even more delighted when the “Turkish prince” informs him that, as father of the bride, he too will be officially ennobled at a special ceremony. The play ends with this ridiculous ceremony, including the Sabir language standing in for Turkish.

Monsieur de Pourceaugnac

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

Monsieur de Pourceaugnac is betrothed to Julie, the daughter of Oronte. Unbeknownst to him, Julie is in love with the young and handsome Parisian Éraste and has no desire to wed Pourceaugnac. In order to avoid the impending marriage, Julie and Éraste solicit the help of Sbrigani who uses all of his guile to help the young couple through a series of clever deceits.

Performances#

The piece premiered at the Château de Chambord for the entertainment of the King of France, Louis XIV on 6 October 1669. The work was a big success and was performed 49 times in the lifetime of its author; in addition to the first performance at Chateau de Chambord, it played once, 4 November 1669, at Versailles and 47 times in the theatre of the Palais Royal in Paris between 15 November 1669 and 11 September 1672. After the death of Molière, the play was performed once the theatre of the hotel Guénégaud, Paris, in 1680, at Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1681, twelve times in the theatre of the rue des Fosses in Saint-Germain, Paris, between 1701 and 1750, once at the Château de Bellevue in 1751, five times at the Grand Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels between 1753 and 1785, three times in the theatre du Capitole in Toulouse between 1786 and 1789, the theatre national Caen, then twice at the Grand Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels in 1791.

Persée (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

ACT I: The Palace of King Céphée and Queen Cassiope of Ethiopia#

King Céphée expresses the terror his people feel for the snake-haired Mèduse: anyone who looks on her turns to stone. The goddess Juno has sent Mèduse to punish Queen Cassiope for her insolence in comparing her own beauty to that of the goddess. In an effort to appease Juno’s wrath, Cassiope has prepared a celebration of games in her honour. We learn that Mérope, the queen’s sister, secretly loves Persée. However, Persée loves and is loved by Andromède, the king’s daughter. Andromède is betrothed to Phinée, her uncle, who, in an agony of jealousy, accuses her of not returning his love, suspecting that she loves another. Andromède assures him that she will fulfil her duty to love him. As the act ends, we learn that Juno has rejected the sacrifices made in her honour. Messengers arrive with the terrible news that Mèduse has taken more victims.

Phaëton (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

Phaëton, the prideful and reckless son of the Sun and the ocean nymph Clymene, is driven to abandon his lover Theona by his ambition for the hand of Libya, daughter of the king of Egypt. On the day of the wedding, Libya’s enraged lover Epaphus, himself the son of Jupiter, disputes Phaëton’s claim to divine lineage. Desiring to prove himself, Phaëton convinces his father to allow him to drive the sun-chariot for one day. In the course of his flight he loses control of the horses, threatening the earth beneath with fiery destruction; Epaphus entreats his father to put an end to the danger, and Jupiter strikes the chariot down with a thunderbolt. Phaëton falls to his death.

Proserpine (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Synopsis#

Based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the plot centers around the abduction of Proserpine by Pluton, with side plots concerning Cérès’s love for Jupiter and the love intrigue between Alphée and Aréthuse.

Recordings#

soloists, Le Concert Spirituel, conducted by Hervé Niquet (Glossa, 2 CDs, 2008)
soloists, Les Talens Lyriques, cond. Christophe Rousset (Chateau de Versailles label, 2025)

Psyché (opera)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

According to the Mercure Galant, the opera Psyché was composed in three weeks; libretto, score and all. Although it is impossible to verify the truth of this statement, there is every reason to believe that Lully was in a hurry when writing this opera. In effect, the opera reuses the intermèdes from Molière’s play. Since these intermèdes had met with such spectacular success seven years earlier, Lully must have felt that given his lack of time, he could at the very least attract a crowd with the promise of reviving the plainte italienne and the final divertissement. All that was required was a synthesis of Molière’s play (Molière had died in 1673) that could coherently string together the existent intermèdes. Such a text would have to be one third the length of the original — that is, 600 rather than 1800 lines long — and composed in varied rimes and rhythms rather than the alexandrines in riming couplets used in spoken declamation. Lully’s usual librettist, Philippe Quinault, was inconveniently in disgrace at court over his previous opera Isis, and so the task fell to Thomas Corneille, likely at the bidding of the same cabal that had sought to disgrace Quinault. Whether by choice or of necessity Corneille’s text emerged not as a synthesis of the Molière but rather as a different plot for a profoundly different genre. Corneille’s nephew, Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, is believed to have collaborated; it is impossible to know to what extent. No anecdote speaking of Psyché mentions Fontenelle. Nevertheless, the latter placed the libretto among his complete works without mention of his uncle. Conversely none of Corneille’s three opera librettos appear in any of the editions of his works or theatre.

Psyché (play)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Molière’s play was one of many sumptuous spectacles produced in celebration of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. The treaty was signed in 1668 but the festivities continued well into 1671. More specifically, the play was a product of Louis XIV’s desire to re-use the Salle des Machines in the Tuileries Palace which had been built to house Cavalli’s opera Ercole Amante in 1662. The theatre was sumptuous and could seat over 7000 spectators, but its excessively large stage and the associated acoustics rendered most performances inaudible. It had remained unused since the end of Cavalli’s opera. It is likely that Louis XIV also wished to re-use some or all of the sets from Ercole Amante, at the very least the sets representing Hell. Molière did not have time to versify the entire play. He was responsible for inventing and outlining the plot, including the coordination of the intermèdes which involved singers, dancers and machines. He versified the prologue, the first act and the first scene of acts two and three. The rest of the play was versified by Pierre Corneille. Philippe Quinault wrote all of the poetry that was set to music. The music itself was composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully.

Roland (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Roles#

There is also a chorus of Fairies, Islanders, Shepherds and Shepherdesses, Heroes and followers of Glory.

Synopsis#

The opera opens with an allegorical prologue in which Démogorgon, King of the Fairies, sings the praises of Louis XIV and asks to see the story of the famous paladin Roland. Roland, the nephew of Charlemagne loves Angélique, the daughter of the King of Cathay, but, unbeknown to him, she is in love with Médor, a soldier in the army of Africa. In Act One, Roland gives Angélique a magic bracelet as a token of his love. In Act Two, Angélique approaches the Fountain of Love in a forest. When she catches sight of Roland, she uses a magic ring to make herself invisible and Roland wanders off in despair. Médor then arrives and in a soliloquy reveals he too is desperately in love with Angélique, so much so he is planning to kill himself. At that moment Angélique reveals herself and confesses her love for him. But she worries that Roland will be provoked to fury if he finds out. In Act Three, Angélique and Médor plan to flee from the clutches of Roland after a hasty wedding. The following act finds Roland in despair when Angélique is nowhere to be found. He comes across the names of Angélique and Médor carved on the walls of a cave. He hears the sound of a village wedding nearby. The villagers tell him of Médor and Angélique’s escape and show him Roland’s bracelet which the couple gave them in gratitude for letting them stay in the village. Roland plunges into madness. In the final act, under the influence of the fairy Logistille the sleeping Roland is visited by dreams of ancient heroes who urge him to give up his futile love for Angélique and return to the Christian army. Roland awakes, having recovered his reason and his desire for glory and rides off to battle amid a general triumph.

Thésée (Lully)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Prologue#

Mars and Venus and their followers sing the praises of Louis XIV.

Act 1#

Princess Aegle is in love with Theseus and prays for his safe return from battle against rebels who are threatening King Aegeus of Athens. Aegeus enters victorious. He tells Aegle he is in love with her, despite being betrothed to the sorceress Medea. Égée says he now intends to marry Medea to his son, whom he has hidden away at Troezen and has not seen for years. The Athenians celebrate their victory with a sacrifice to the goddess Minerva.

Jean-Baptiste Lully on Music Theory Print

Achille et Polyxène

Analysis of the libretto and music#

Acis et Galatée

Performance history#

Synopsis#

Alceste (Lully)

Prologue#

Act 1#

Amadis (Lully)

Performance history#

Armide (Lully)

Performance history#

Atys (Lully)

Performance history#

Bellérophon

Synopsis#

Modern performances#

Cadmus et Hermione

Recordings#

References#

George Dandin ou le Mari confondu

Characters and original cast#

Isis (Lully)

Performance history#

Roles#

Prologue#

L'Amour médecin

Sganarelle#

Lucinde#

Lisette#

Secondary#

Doctors#

La Princesse d'Élide

Bibliography#

External links#

Le Bourgeois gentilhomme

Synopsis#

Monsieur de Pourceaugnac

Synopsis#

Performances#

Persée (Lully)

ACT I: The Palace of King Céphée and Queen Cassiope of Ethiopia#

Phaëton (Lully)

Synopsis#

Proserpine (Lully)

Synopsis#

Recordings#

Further reading#

Psyché (opera)

Background#

Psyché (play)

History#

Roland (Lully)

Roles#

Synopsis#

Thésée (Lully)

Prologue#

Act 1#