Les Amants Magnifiques- Entree D’apollon (Lully)

Piece from the movie: Le Roi Danse (The King is Dancing) Scene at Versailles Palace gardens. Some Info: Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) Italian-born composer (French nationality from 1661). Entered service of Louis XIV 1653, composed instrumental music for the court ballets. From 1664 collaborated with Molière in series of comedy-ballets which were forerunners of French opera, the last and most famous being Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, in which Lully danced role of the Mufti. He was known to be a libertine. In 1661, in letters of naturalization and in his marriage contract to Madeleine Lambert, daughter of Lully’s friend and fellow musician Michel Lambert, Giovanni Battista Lulli declared himself as Jean-Baptiste de Lully, escuyer’ son of ’Laurent de Lully, gentilhomme Florentin. Although his life is full of meteoric heights, his love affairs with men and women also brought him down in scandal several times at the great displeasure of Louis XIV. Despite these scandals, he always managed to get back into the good graces of Louis XIV who found Lully essential for his musical entertainments and who thought of Lully as one of his few true friends. Having assimilated both Italian and French styles and tastes, from 1673 he turned to opera composition and obtained from the King exclusive rights to arrange operatic performances in Paris. His death was caused by a gangrenous abscess which formed in his foot after he struck it with the long staff he used for beating time on the floor while conducting a Te Deum to celebrate Louis XIV’s recovery from illness.