Release Date: 12 January 1999
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 636943400326
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: LULLY
Description
Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)Ballet Music for the Sun King Lully's early childhood is veiled in obscurity. He washorn on 28th November 1631, and although he claimed to be the son of Lorenzode' Lully, a FlorentineGentleman it is more likely that his origins were humble.He learnt the violin from an oldshoemaker monk, and was taken from his native Florenceto France by the Chevalier de Guise when he was ten or eleven, so that he couldtutor the Chevalier, niece, Mademoiselle de Montpensier, in Italian. Hisviolin-playing found him favour, for he was placed in the Mademoiselle'sprivate orchestra, and was soon outshining the other violinists. His standingin the household suffered a sharp blow, however, when he was dismissed forhaving composed a satirical air at the expense of the Mademoiselle. By this time,however, he had already gained the attention of young King Louis XIV, and sojoined the Royal court. The King and Lully danced together in the 1653 productionof the Ballet de la Muit. Less than a month later, on 16th March, JeanBaptiste Lully was appointed Compositeur de la Musique instrumentale de lachamber. This, and his friendship with the Roi Soleil was thestarting-point of Lully's meteoric rise to fame and power in the world of musicin France. Several events took place fast on the heels of Lully'sappointment as Compositeur de la Musique. In 1656 he was given his ownorchestra, the Petits Violons, and in May 1661 he was appointed to theimportant position of Surintendant de la Musique de la Cambre. In March1672, Lully received the patent to establish an Academie Royale de Musique,which subsequently forbade the performance of any theatre work without thewritten permission of Lully, under penalty of 10,000 livres fine and theconfiscation of theatre, machines, costumes and other item. Having manoeuvered himself into a position of total powerin the musical world, Lully demonstrated that he was far from being a talentlessopportunist. He has left a legacy of style and influence that helped pave theway for a whole tradition of French music, particularly in opera. He transformedthe standard and practices of the orchestra, composed sacred music, and crownedhis glory by creating the Tragedies Lyriques. These established an operastructure to rival the Italian, a structure that was rooted in the Ballet deCour. Unfortunately, it is the circumstances of his death that are most notorious.While conducting a performance of his Te Deum. Lully accidentally struckhimself on the foot with the large staff that he used to pound the floor tokeep time. He contracted gangrene, which led to blood poisoning and hiseventual death on 22nd March168. Scaramouches, Clowns and Harlequins In 1581 Baltasar de Beaujoyeulx was commissionedby Catherine de Medici to produce Circe, ou le ballet comique de la royne,and as was the Italian custom, members of the royal family danced and appearedon stage. Beaujoyeulx claimed to have introduced an invention novellea
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Various
Various
Lully
