Jean-Baptiste Lully: Incidental Music from "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" (1670)

Описание: Instrumental music from the comedy-ballet “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme”

0:06 Ouverture
2:35 Deuxieme Air
3:24 Chaconne des Scaramouches Trivelins et Arlequin
5:52 March pour la Ceremonie des Turcs

King Louis XIV of France and Navarre, often referred to as the Sun-King by his circle of royal sycophants, was also compared to the Greek god Apollo by the master artists of his generation. Louis was a connoisseur of fine paintings, architectural marvels, colossal musical events, grand ballet spectacles and flamboyant ladies at court. He was an extravagant extrovert, a dancer and a dandy who enjoyed dressing up in opulent finery and tall-heeled shoes. He was also an absolute dictator and a formidable warrior who defeated the Dutch in pitched battle and established France as an undisputed European powerhouse both culturally and militarily.

Jean-Baptiste Lully (born Giovanni Lulli) was the King's court conductor and master of the instrumentalists. He was a naturalized French citizen, recognized for his mastery of the decadent and pompous style of Louis XIV's court musicians. He was born in Florence to modest means and frequently incorporated Italian characters and themes into his grand operatic productions.

The comedy-ballet "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," whose script was written by the great French playwright Molière and whose musical interludes were composed by maestro Lully, is a tale of a certain Monsieur Jourdain, a wealthy man who desperately sought membership in the French aristocracy. The story is one that describes a class tension that was ubiquitous throughout the 17th Century. A stereotypical buffoon, sometimes labelled nouvelle riche, born of humble origins, aspiring to reach a higher social standing through learning of art and music, fails to assimilate with the upper echelon due to his crude ways and fundamental ignorance. Humiliation of the bourgeoisie was a topic that may have entertained King Louis XIV and his entourage, but a century later would become the linchpin for the French Revolution and the downfall of the French monarchy under Louis XVI.

A full score of this semi-opera / ballet can be viewed at this link:

https://clara.imslp.org/work/5360?ims...

Although the original instrumentation is not specified throughout this magnum opus, I used the sounds of violins and oboes for the melody lines - as was customary in Lully’s court orchestra. Basso continuo instruments in the simulated ensemble include cellos, double bass, bassoon, harpsichord and theorbo. Percussion instruments include tympani and sleighbells. I used a MIDI editor app on the iPhone Music Studio 2.0.

Description of the photos:

1. "Ouverture" to "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," J-B Lully, copied by André Danican Philidor, c1690
2. The young Louis XIV on horseback, 1662
3. Central tower of the Château de Chambord, the venue for the first performance of "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," photo by blutch25 (Pixabay)
4. Harpsichord by Hans Ruckers (Antwerp), c1680
5. Court of Louis XIV in a royal garden
6. "Air #2," "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," J-B Lully, copied by André Danican Philidor, c1690
7. The stage for a ballet at Versailles, c1674
8. “Chaconne des Scaramouches Trivelins et Arlequin,” "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," J-B Lully, copied by André Danican Philidor, c1690
9. Courtyard and spiral staircase of the Château de Chambord
10. The cover page of "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" by Molière, 1688
11. Interior of the Château de Chambord also with a spiral staircase
12. Fountain of Apollo dedicated to Louis XIV, Versailles
13. Allegory of King Louis (Sun-King) taking the city and citadel of Ghent, Le Brun, Versailles, 1678
14. “March pour la Ceremonie des Turcs,” "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," J-B Lully, copied by André Danican Philidor, c1690
15. Bust of Louis XIV as Apollo, Jean Varin, c1680
16. Carrousel (tournament) of Louis XIV with drummer playing timpani on horseback, 1662
17. Hall of Mirrors, Versailles
18. Gates of Versailles with golden emblem of the Sun-King, Louis XIV