In the fifties of the 17th century, Jean-Baptiste Lully laid the foundation for what would become one of the most successful genres of the Baroque: the French overture. In essence, this form consists of a stately opening with sharp rhythms, followed by a faster, fugal part. Numerous composers, including Purcell, Bach, Handel and Telemann, would adopt this model. In France, Lully's example was
… slavishly imitated. The philosopher Jean le Rond d'Alembert complained in the 18th century that the French overture had hardly changed after Lully. The only exception, he noted, was Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764). A number of Rameau's overtures will be offered on CD this week in a performance of Les Talens Lyriques conducted by Christophe Rousset._more
