![]() Once Louis XV came to the throne in 1723 the genres blurred somewhat, notably with the advent of the ballet héroïque, which had the lofty tone of the tragédie lyrique and the form of an opéra-ballet. The tempest scene in Marin Marais’ Alcyone (1706) and the pastoral scene in Campra’s Hippodamie (1708) are famous examples of the genre. New instruments (the double bass, traverse flute, cello, musette, trumpet, percussion and kettledrum) added hitherto unheard sounds. Music scores became more complex, the airs more varied and recitatives more theatrical, backed by the orchestra. ![]() ![]() Two distinguished composers emerged, namely André Campra ( L’Europe galante, Tancrède, Les Fêtes vénitiennes) and André Cardinal Destouches ( Issé, Callirhoé, Les Éléments), as well as Marin Marais, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Henry Desmarest and Jean-Joseph Mouret. The trend increased during the Regency (1715-1723). Musicians were given a more varied repertoire, with the emphasis on Italian vocalisation. This second era saw lighter spectacles, pastoral operas and opéras-ballets, with popular comic plots and everyday characters. His contemporaries and successors were finally free to present their compositions and the repertoire broadened. The heyday of Campra and Destouches under Philippe d’Orléans Some of his works were translated, adapted and performed abroad. His legacy formed the basis of the repertoire of the Académie Royale de Musique and other French theatres. By his death in 1687, the Paris Opera had become Europe’s top theatre, and was to remain so for almost the next hundred years. Lully was the sine qua non composer throughout the 18 th century, skilfully mastering the operatic art form. Orchestras and choirs, solo musicians and dancers were driven by Lully to surpass themselves in this new art form.įrom Cadmus et Hermione (1673) to Armide (1686), Lully explored music, acoustics, staging and drama, giving increasing importance to choir and orchestra, providing more frequent song and dance scenes, depth of character and bold stage sets and theatrical effects. From 1672 onwards Lully organised a new production every year, collaborating with poets such as Quinault, set designers such as Bérain and Vigarani and prestigious costume designers and choreographers such as Beauchamp. The Académie Royale de Musique was founded in 1669 to produce and administer this new form of entertainment. It also featured sophisticated salon airs, recitatives adapted from Italian opera, choral music and pieces by the Vingt-Quatre Violons du Roi orchestra. Lully invented the genre, a masterly synthesis of the ballet de cour (popular since the late 16 th century), Corneille and Racine’s tragédies déclamées and comédie- ballets inspired by Molière and Italian opera. The genre was to dominate the French stage, evolving into romantic grand opera at the turn of the 19 th century. At the request of Louis XIV and with his full support he came up with a spectacle divided equally into song, music, poetry, dance and theatrical effects. ![]() The Académie Royale de Musique then came under the control of Jean-Baptiste Lully, the true founder of French opera. Audiences were astonished at the mixture of poetry and music. Composer Robert Cambert and librettist Pierre Perrin conceived the first ‘French’ pastorale Pomone which was performed in the new Académie Royale de Musique in 1671. Cavalli’s music went down well with French audiences, but when Louis XIV came to power in 1660 its popularity waned and French opera only came into being some ten years later. The birth of opera Creation of the Académie Royale de MusiqueĬardinal Mazarin introduced Italian opera to the Court in the 1650’s.
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