Overture from Psyché

Ouverture from Psyché arr. Satoko Doi-Luck

Jean-Baptiste Lully, often described as the ultimate creator of French baroque style as we know it, was famously born in Italy in 1632. He became a Frenchman in 1661 and operated under the patronage of le Roi Soleil, Louis XIV of France. His principal genre was that of opera and he did much to further its development during his lifetime. His cross-arts collaborations were instrumental in developing new and innovative genres for royal entertainment; most notably the comédie-ballet in collaboration with the playwright Molière and the tragedie en musique or tragédie lyrique, forms of opera that proved popular with French composers for many years.

The music from Psyché first appeared as interludes written for the Molière play dating from 1671. The music was adapted and extended, reusing the popular tunes to create a new tragèdie lyrique of the same name, with a completely different text by Thoman Corneille. The Ouverture is a grand musical opening typical of the Lullian style; the slower, highly rhythmic and noble first section leading straight into a faster section, fleet of foot and dancing through to the end of the movement.

– Flavia Hirte