ABSTRACT
Louis XIV assumed sole power in 1661 and ruled until 1715, making his reign the longest in European history. During that time, Louis XIV reformed the military, further centralized the administration, and supported and enjoyed lavish culture at court. The court of Louis XIV was one of the most opulent in European history. The architectural refinements of the king’s palaces, the fine portraits of the king, and the elegant statues of him that dot the city of Paris are hallmarks of the cultural display that reached a highpoint during his realm. Music also peaked under Louis XIV, for the king both supported and enjoyed the many types of musical performances available to him—intimate chamber music concerts in the privacy of his apartments, sumptuous dance and theatrical productions in his court theatres, and elaborate motets in his chapel. This chapter connects the cultivation of music under Louis XIV to the political and religious goals of the king’s reign. We will see that music was an extraordinarily effective means of enhancing Louis XIV’s reputation, and by extension, that of his court and country.
