Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/184

LUISA MILLER. Opera in 4 acts; libretto (from Schiller's 'Cabale und Liebe') by Camarrano, music by Verdi. Produced at Naples December [App. p.706 "Dec. 8,"], 1849. Given in French at the Grand Opera, Paris, as 'Louise Miller,' Feb. 2, 1853; in English, at Sadlers' Wells, June 3, and in Italian, at Her Majesty's, June 8, 1858 both as 'Luisa Miller.'

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LULLI, or LULLY, Jean Baptiste, the first French composer of a series of operas, son of Lorenzo de' Lulli, a gentleman of Florence, and Catarina del Serta, was born at or very near Florence in 1633, though the precise date is unknown, the certificate of his baptism not having been discovered. An old Franciscan monk gave the gifted but mischievous child some elementary instruction, and taught him the guitar and the rudiments of music. The Chevalier de Guise took him to France, and having entered the service of Mlle. de Montpensier 'La Grande Mademoiselle' in the kitchen, Lully employed his leisure in learning the songs of the day and playing them upon his violin. As his talent became known he was promoted from the kitchen to the Princess's band, where he soon distanced the other violinists. Mademoiselle, having discovered that he had composed the air of a satirical song at her expense, promptly dismissed him; but his name was sufficient to procure him a place in the King's band. Here some airs of his composition so pleased Louis XIV that he established on purpose for him a new band, called 'les petits violons,' to distinguish it from the large band of 24 violins. His new post enabled him to perfect himself as a solo-player, and gave him valuable practice as a conductor and composer for the orchestra. Baptiste, as he was then called, had common sense as well as ambition, and soon perceived that without deeper study he could not make full use of his talents. To remedy his defective education he took lessons on the clavecin and in composition from the organists Métru, Gigault, and Roberdel; and at the same time lost no opportunity of ingratiating himself with men of rank, a useful process for which he had a special gift. He was soon chosen to compose the music for the court ballets, in which Louis XIV himself danced, and after the success of 'Alcidiane' (1658), words by Benserade, was commissioned to write the divertissements for 'Sersé,' an Italian opera by Cavalli, performed at the Louvre (Nov. 22, 1660) in honour of the King's recent marriage with Marie Thérése of Austria (June 9 previous), and, a year and a half later, the ballets for 'Ercole amante,' another opera by Cavalli, performed at the opening of the magnificent 'Salle de spectacles' at the Tuilleries (Feb. 7, 1662). It was by studying the works of this Venetian composer, and observing his method, that Lully laid the foundation of his own individual style. In composing the divertissements for 'Le Mariage forcé,' 'Pourceaugnac,' and 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme,' he made good use of the feeling for rhythm which he had imbibed from Cavalli, and also endeavoured to make his music express the life and variety of Moliére's situations and characters. The exquisitely comic scene of the polygamy in 'M. de Pourceaugnac' is in itself sufficient evidence of the point to which he had attained, and of the glorious future which awaited him.

From 1658 to 1671—the year in which Moliére produced his tragedy-ballet 'Psyché'—Lully composed no less than 30 ballets, all unpublished.^[1] These slight compositions, in which Lully took part with considerable success as dancer and comic actor, confirmed him in the favour of Louis XIV, who successively appointed him composer of his instrumental music, 'surintendant' of his chamber music, and in 1662 'maître de musique' to the royal family. But neither these lucrative posts nor his constantly increasing reputation were sufficient to appease his insatiable ambition. With all his genius he possessed neither honour nor morals, and would resort to any base expedient to rid himself of a troublesome rival. His envy had been roused by the privilege conceded to the Abbé Perrin (June 28, 1669) of creating an 'Académie de Musique,' and was still further excited by the success of Cambert's operas 'Pomone,' and 'Les Peines et les Plaisirs de l'Amour' (1671). With the astuteness of a courtier Lully took advantage of the squabbles of the numerous associés-directeurs of the opera, and with the aid of Mme. de Montespan, procured the transference of Perrin's patent to himself (March 1672). Once master of a theatre, the man whom honest Boileau branded as a 'cœur bas,' a 'coquin ténébreux,' and a 'bouffon odieux,' proved his right to a place in the first rank among artists, though as a man he could claim neither sympathy nor respect. In the poet Quinault he was fortunate enough to discover a collaborateur of extraordinary merit, and in conjunction with him Lully in the space of 14 years composed 20 operas or divertissements, of which the following is a list:—

1. Les Fêtes de l'Amour et de Bacchus (pasticcio). 3 acts. Nov. 15, 1672.
2. Cadmus et Hermione. 5 acts. Feb. 1673.
3. Alceste. 5 acts. Jan. 2, 1674.
4. Thésée. 5 acts. Jan. 11, 1675.
5. Le Carnaval. Masquerade (pasticcio). Oct. 17, 1675.
6. Atys. 5 acts. Jan. 10, 1676.
7. Isis. 5 acts. Jan. 5, 1677.
8. Psyché. 5 acts. April 9, 1678.
9. Bellérophon. 6 acts. Jan. 31. 1679.
10. Proserpine. 5 acts. Nov. 19, 1680.
11. Le Triomphe de l'Amour. Ballet. April 19, 1681.
12. Persée. 5 acts. April 17. 1682.
13. Phaéton. 5 acts. April 27. 1683.
14. Amadis de Gaule. 5 acts. Jan. 18, 1684.
15. Roland. 5 acts. Feb. 8. 1685.
16. Idylle sur la Paix. Divertissement. 1685.
17. L'Eglogue de Versailles. Divertissement. 1685.
18. Le Temple de la Paix. Ballet. Sept. 12, 1685.
19. Armide et Renaud. 5 acts. Feb. 15, 1686.
20. Acis et Galatée. 3 acts. Sept. 17, 1686.

The variety of subjects in this list is surprising, but Lully was perfectly at home with all, passing easily from lively and humorous divertissements to scenes of heroism and pathos, from picturesque and dramatic music to downright comedy, and treating all styles with equal power. He revolutionised the ballets de la cour, replacing the slow and stately airs by lively allegros, as rapid as the pirouettes of the danseuses

1. Philidor's precious MS. collection in the library of the Paris Conservatoire de Musique contains the music of several of these divertissements. Celler published that of 'Le Mariage forcé,' for P.F., in 1867; and that of 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme' has recently been arranged for P.F. (1876).