Jean-Baptiste Lully

     Jean-Baptiste Lully was born in Florence, Italy, on November 28, 1632.  He moved to Paris, France, at the age of 11 to teach Italian to an aristocratic lady.  He spent the remainder of his life in France, where he laid the foundation for French musical styles – especially musical theatre and courtly dances.  

     Lully began dancing, violin and guitar lessons in mid childhood.   When he moved to Paris, he began learning harpsichord and composition.   In Paris, he attended performances by the King’s band and witnessed court balls.  He made himself known at these occasions and soon was recognised as a composer, even by the King Louis XIV. 

Lully danced with King Louis in a ballet in 1653.  Soon afterwards, Lully was appointed as composer in the King’s court.  Lully and King Louis remained life-long friends.

     From his position in the King’s court, where he had total control over all musicians, Lully began experimenting with musical styles.  He made significant changes in orchestral style and the types of instruments that were included in the orchestra. 

     Lully’s creation of musical theatre began in 1664.  Lully loved musical theatre and ballet, which combined his two favourite expressions of art – dance and music.  He wrote new musical forms for the ballet.  This dance music shaped what would later become familiar as French music (e.g. Minuet, Gavotte, and Bouree).

     Lully united literary unity, music and dance - a form that became very popular and developed into the later ballets, such as those by Tchaikovsky.  Lully also composed an opera every year for 14 years.  His operas combined dances, arias and recitations into literary units – in the same manner as the ballets.

     Unfortunately, Lully was a severe, power-hungry, dictatorial man who had acquired the patents for many forms of music in France.  He prevented the composition and performance of works that did not have his explicit consent.  This stunted the development of music for some time, almost a hundred years.  He was still very popular with the French.

     Lully’s music influenced his contemporaries – such as the English composers who were sent to France by Charles I to learn from Lully.  After him, Lully’s influence was enduring.  J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel emulated Lully’s style.  This further demonstrates how Lully was very foundational in western music – structurally, stylistically and emotionally.  (Lully’s melodies are known for being very emotional.) 

     Lully died in 1687, at 55 years of age, after injuries from an accident.

Last modified: April 13, 2009