Roy Ellefsen wrote:

>I recently acquired the film score music to Tous les Matins du Monde
>(which) includes music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, which I found very
>attractive . . .

The movie actually pokes fun at Lully's music (and with a great inside
joke).  Many critics believe Lully's music inferior to some of his French
contemporaries (Charpentier, St.  Colombe), but because Lully was favored
by Louis XIV, he had an influence on French music that far exceeded his
talent and that set French music back 150 years (until the coming of
Berlioz).  Had Charpentier (or Purcell in England) been the politically
correct model, Rameau undoubtedly would have been a greater composer than
J.S. Bach.

The "inside joke" in the movie occurs when Marais conducts Lully's music
according to the convention of the time (the first time Lully's music is
heard in the film), i.e.  by beating time on the floor with a large staff.
Those in the know will remember that this is how Lully died.  While
conducting one day, Lully struck his foot with the staff; the foot
developed blood poisoning, and off he went.

John Dalmas
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