France was very much considered the epitome of the creative arts throughout 17th century Europe. Lavish theatrical displays of dance, drama and music were commonplace at the French royal court. Louis XIV’s interest and personal involvement in both music and dance was paramount in the development of the arts, thus leading to the spread of these new practices across the continent.

 

His court was the birthplace of new musical genres, such as the grand motet, whilst traditional dances were transferred from the ballroom to the stage in the development of ballet de cour, forming the foundations of classical ballet. Dance from this time was typical of the Danse Noble style, representative of honour, elegance, and generosity. Furthermore, advances were made in the construction of instruments, resulting in many flutes and oboes becoming the most widely admired in Europe, and new institutions established by the King introduced training programmes which brought about the first generation of professional dancers.

 

The French style of music and dance dominated and infiltrated other European royal courts, with Pierre Rameau, dancing master at the court, claiming in 1725 that there was “hardly a Court in Europe where the dancing master is not French.”[1] It is no wonder that Charles II, renowned for his extravagant personality and desire to have a good time, chose to spend his 10-year exile during Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth at Louis XIV’s court, before returning as King of England in 1660.

 

Born on 5th September 1638, young prince Louis became King of France upon his father King Louis XIII’s death on 14th May 1643. Louis XIV served for a total of 72 years and 110 days until his death on 1st September 1715, earning the title of Europe’s longest reigning monarch to date. As he was just 4 years old when he ascended to the throne, Louis’ mother, Anne of Austria, served as regent until Louis reached a suitable age to assume his full role as King. The Queen Mother, as she was known, appointed Cardinal Mazarin as her first minister, who effectively held the full governing power of France. During this time, Mazarin very much encouraged Louis’ interest in dance.

​

Louis XIV was a very accomplished dancer, performing in his first court ballet at just 12 years old in 1651. He typically danced leading roles representing high deities, including his infamous characterisation of Apollo, the Sun King (le Roi Soleil) in Ballet de la Nuit in 1653. Supporting roles were danced by members of the aristocracy and nobility who held the social status to share the stage with the King. Although he performed his last theatrical role in Ballet de Flore in 1669, Louis maintained a strong interest in both dance and music and spent the duration of his reign developing the roles of artistic institutions so that music and dance held an increasingly prominent role at the court, and thus developed the overall French musical style which spread over the continent.

 

Upon Mazarin’s death on 9th March 1661, Louis XIV assumed absolute power as King of France. The 23-year-old monarch set about centralising his court, in which he became directly responsible of all government policies by replacing the power-hungry nobility with aspiring middle-class men, resulting in less power in the hands of the council and more given to the King. Similar reforms were made in the monopolisation of the music industry. Through their performances in ballet de cours, Louis XIV developed a formidable partnership with the young Jean-Baptiste Lully, who was not just a capable dancer but also an excellent violinist, singer, and composer. Just a month after their first performance together in Ballet de la Nuit, Louis appointed Lully as Compositeur de la Musique Instrumentale in March 1653, followed by Surintendant de la Musique de la Chambre du Roi in 1661.

​

Louis also established institutions with the aim of raising the technical and artistic standards of both dance and music. In 1661 the Académie Royale de Danse was formed to create generations of professionally trained dancers who could perform in staged productions for court entertainment, and to regulate and standardise the performance and technicalities of dance. Moreover, a system of notation commissioned by Louis XIV in 1674 and published in 1700, set about solidifying this standardisation of dance. By having dance steps readily written down in Beauchamp-Feuillet’s Chorégraphie, the exact steps, and the exact music they correspond to, could be performed by anyone in the precise manner the choreographer intended. A similar method of regulation took place through the formation of the Académie de l’Opera in 1669. Founded by Pierre Perrin (poet) and Robert Cambert (composer) under Louis XIV, the Paris Opera, as it was also known, was later purchased and placed under the leadership of Lully in 1672 and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique. Here, a repertory company was established for the performance and production of regular French operas, and furthered Lully’s domination and control over the production of music in France during the 17th century.

 

Louis XIV was personally involved in overseeing musical decisions at court. He specifically chose which musicians worked for him and would reject the employment of anyone who he deemed to lack the qualities and experience necessary to complete the job perfectly.[2] His decision to place Lully at the head of multiple court establishments ensured there was an individual at the centre of the day-to-day running of musical activities at court who was a key supporter and ally of the King, which further monopolised Louis XIV’s power. He employed a chosen team of artists who were responsible for the creation and running of grand displays which included not just singing, dancing and acting, but also instrumental music, exuberant costumes and special stage effects and designs. Besides Lully (composer), this team included Molière (playwright), Beauchamps (choreographer) and Gissey (designer). The King hired the very best musicians to provide instrumental lessons to various members of his family, including Delalande, Charpentier, De Visée and Couperin. Through this, Louis also learnt to play the lute, guitar, and keyboard. Compositions written during this time were published showing their recognition to the King, often printed with the phrase “avec privilége du Roi.”

​

Louis XIV’s requirement for excellent musical and theatrical displays of entertainment, and his contributions towards these, made the French royal court one of the most influential in terms of the development and evolution of the performing arts in Western Europe. Foreign dignitaries welcomed at Versailles would have returned home spreading the news about what they had seen and heard during their time at the palace. The ability to train musicians and dancers to such high standards allowed for professionally staged productions, whilst exact choreographies could now be replicated if written down and passed around through the Beauchamp-Feuillet system of notation. The regulation of not just dance, but also music, led to the increase in popularity of the French ballroom dances and the music which accompanied. As dance compositions became increasingly more difficult and flourished, they were more frequently appreciated through listening rather than being danced to, and thus the instrumental dance suite emerged as a popular structure for many European composers.