French and Italian Traits in Couperin's L'Apotheose de Lully

Identify French and Italian traits in four movements from Couperin’s L’Apothéose de Lully. In your view, does Couperin reconcile or merely juxtapose the two styles? 


There are many marked characteristics that define the two very different styles of French and Italian music in the early 18th Century. In the music of a composer attempting to ‘reconcile’ the two styles one would expect the assimilation of some of the most defining characteristics of each style in a manner that would fuse these national elements together.

Couperin has used an Italian genre by writing within the trio sonata form but with a French programmatic context. Interestingly, he has also given the movements French titles – Gravement, Vivement, Rondement and Vivement.

In the first movement, Gravement, Couperin utilises French upward scalar flourishes (characteristic of the French overture style) in m. 1 and m. 5. Other French traits include French notation (+) to indicate trills in the second string part in m. 1 (continuing throughout the work), dotted rhythms and the use of melody with accompaniment mm. 2 – 4 continuing throughout the work). Italian traits found in this movement include sequential melody in mm. 2 – 4 (which is also based on French stepwise movement, fusing the two styles together) and also in mm. 17 – 18. The Italian walking bass appears in mm. 3 – 4 and the leaps in the melody in mm. 11 – 16 are Italian in nature.

The Italian style dominates in the second movement, Vivement, most notably with the use of the typically Corellian fugal trio sonata with an Italian time signature (2/4). An Italian equality of texture with all voices, including the bass also apparent.

The third movement, Rondement, features a French homophonic texture and the melody is predominantly based on French stepwise movement (notes inégales also appears in m. 7). However, Italian white notes in triple time are also utilised.

The fourth movement, Vivement, like the second...