BaroqueJean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully was born in Florence, Italy, the son of a miller.
Jean-Baptiste Lully’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1632👶 Birth
Born in Florence on 28 November, son of a miller
- 1637🌍 Meanwhile
The first public opera house opens in Venice
- 1646🧳 Journeyage 14
Arrives in Paris in the service of the Grande Mademoiselle
- 1653🎩 Careerage 21
Composer of the king’s instrumental music
- 1653🎩 Careerage 21
Dances with the young Louis XIV in the Ballet royal de la Nuit
- 1662❤️ Private lifeage 30
Marries Madeleine Lambert, daughter of the musician Michel Lambert
- 1664🎼 Workage 32
First comédie-ballet with Molière: Le Mariage forcé
- 1666🌍 Meanwhile
Great Fire of London
- 1669🌍 Meanwhile
The Royal Academy of Music (Paris Opera) is founded
- 1670🎼 Workage 38
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme with Molière
- 1673🎼 Workage 41
Cadmus et Hermione, the first French tragédie en musique
- 1682🏛️ Landmarkage 50
The court settles at Versailles
- 1687🕯️ Deathage 55
Strikes his foot with his staff while conducting a Te Deum; dies on 22 March
- 1687🌍 Meanwhile
Newton publishes the laws of gravitation
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Excerpts of up to 90 seconds, freely licensed recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
Once upon a time…
Jean-Baptiste Lully was born in Florence, Italy, the son of a miller. At thirteen he went to Paris to work for a princess. He started in the kitchens, but he played the violin so well that people soon noticed!
He danced in a ballet with the young King Louis XIV, dressed as the Sun. The king loved him and put him in charge of all his music. Lully led a very disciplined orchestra: all the violins played exactly together.
With Molière he invented comedies full of music and dance, like The Bourgeois Gentleman. Then he created French opera for the palace of Versailles.
His death was strange: conducting with a big staff that he struck on the floor, he hurt his foot… and the wound became infected.
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