Baroque Composers: Purcell, Rameau & Opera

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Incorporating elements of French and Italian styles, but with a personal stamp characterized by nobility, dignity, seriousness, delicacy, and sensitivity. He is considered the most important English Baroque composer, although he sometimes faced technical limitations. He served as organist of Westminster Abbey and harpsichordist of the royal chamber, serving monarchs like Charles II, James II, and William & Mary.

Purcell cultivated all genres, including:

• Hymns and religious choirs
• Theatre music (e.g., for plays)
• Chamber works
• Opera

His operas include Dido and Aeneas (composed for a girls' boarding school, noted for its relative simplicity), which brought him significant fame, as well as works like King Arthur and The Tempest. Purcell's style is known for its innovative use of dissonance and chromaticism.

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)

Composer, harpsichordist, and music theorist, Rameau succeeded Lully as the dominant composer of French opera.

His best-known work is the opera-ballet Les Indes Galantes (1735). This lyric tragedy from the 18th century, based on court ballet, is known for its lively character and is considered pure entertainment.

Other notable operas include:

• Hippolyte et Aricie (1733)
• Castor et Pollux (1737)
• Dardanus (1739 and 1744)
• Zoroastre (1749)

Other opera-ballets include Les Fêtes d'Hébé (1739) and La Princesse de Navarre (1745).

His works for harpsichord include pieces like:

• Le Tambourin
• L'Entretien des Muses
• Le Rappel des Oiseaux
• La Poule

Rameau is generally considered the greatest French musician before the 19th century. He is also recognized as the first theorist of classical harmony; his treatises remained works of reference until the early 20th century. His influential work is Traité de l'harmonie réduite à ses principes naturels (Paris, 1722).

French Baroque Opera and the Querelle des Bouffons

A significant controversy faced French opera during the years 1752-1754, known as the Querelle des Bouffons (Quarrel of the Comic Actors). This dispute pitted the defenders of French music, grouped around Jean-Philippe Rameau, against supporters of an expansion of musical horizons, gathered around the philosopher and musicologist Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The latter were proponents of Italian opera, specifically defending works like Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona.

The term "bouffons" referred to the style of Italian opera buffa. Despite this conflict, French opera, without sacrificing its unique identity, opened itself to Italian influences and successfully renewed the genre.