Jean-Baptiste Lully

7 Pages 1751 Words

one” succeeded, Lully changed his mind. Perrin ended up in prison over a money dispute and Lully bought the opera patent from him. This gave him complete control of French operatic performances. Then in 1673 Molière died and the King granted the patent for the Royal Theater to Lylly also. Lully’s new operatic style grew out of his popular ballets. He kept the overture, entry music for the dancers, atmosphere and action symphonies, and some of the dances themselves. He also worked parts around vocal recitatives and airs that followed a specific plot. This form became known as tragédies lyriques. In 1673 Lully began composing and performing one opera each year for fourteen years, except 1681. The most famous work from this period was “Le Triomphe de l’Amour.” It was the first to use a recitative with orchestral accompaniment. It was also the first performance to include professional female dancers. (Newman, 1979) Lully’s monopoly stunted the natural progression of music. He once had the King personally stop the production of an opera that had not received Lully’s ...