Jean-Baptiste Lully Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. What was Jean-Baptiste Lully’s primary role in the court of King Louis XIV?
A. Court painter
B. Court composer and music director
C. Royal architect
D. Military advisor
Answer: B. Court composer and music director
Q2. In which country was Jean-Baptiste Lully born?
A. France
B. Germany
C. Italy
D. Spain
Answer: C. Italy
Q3. What was Lully’s original name before he adopted the French version?
A. Giovanni Battista Lulli
B. Jean-Pierre Lully
C. Jacques-Baptiste Lully
D. Giuseppe Battistini
Answer: A. Giovanni Battista Lulli
Q4. In which year was Jean-Baptiste Lully born?
A. 1612
B. 1622
C. 1632
D. 1642
Answer: C. 1632
Q5. What musical genre is Lully most closely associated with developing in France?
A. Opera buffa
B. Tragedie lyrique
C. Oratorio
D. Symphony
Answer: B. Tragedie lyrique
Q6. Which of the following was Lully’s first opera, premiered in 1673?
A. Armide
B. Alceste
C. Cadmus et Hermione
D. Atys
Answer: C. Cadmus et Hermione
Q7. What instrument was Lully primarily known for playing before focusing on composition?
A. Harpsichord
B. Violin
C. Lute
D. Flute
Answer: B. Violin
Q8. Lully collaborated closely with which famous playwright for his operas?
A. Moliere
B. Racine
C. Corneille
D. Philippe Quinault
Answer: D. Philippe Quinault
Q9. What was the name of the musical ensemble Lully led under Louis XIV?
A. Les Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi
B. Les Musiciens de Paris
C. L’Academie Royale de Musique
D. La Petite Bande
Answer: A. Les Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi
Q10. How did Lully die in 1687?
A. Illness
B. Accident during a performance
C. Gangrene from a conducting injury
D. Poisoning
Answer: C. Gangrene from a conducting injury
Q11. Which of Lully’s operas is considered his masterpiece, premiered in 1686?
A. Atys
B. Armide
C. Alceste
D. Isis
Answer: B. Armide
Q12. What role did Lully hold that gave him control over music in France?
A. Surintendant de la Musique
B. Directeur des Beaux-Arts
C. Maître de Chapelle
D. Conducteur Royal
Answer: A. Surintendant de la Musique
Q13. Which dance form did Lully popularize in his operas and ballets?
A. Minuet
B. Waltz
C. Gavotte
D. Polonaise
Answer: A. Minuet
Q14. What was the name of the institution Lully helped establish to promote opera in France?
A. Paris Conservatoire
B. Academie Royale de Musique
C. Comedie-Française
D. Theatre du Palais-Royal
Answer: B. Academie Royale de Musique
Q15. Lully’s music was known for its emphasis on which aspect of performance?
A. Improvisation
B. Vocal virtuosity
C. Orchestral discipline
D. Minimalist textures
Answer: C. Orchestral discipline
Q16. Which of Lully’s works is a famous example of a comedie-ballet?
A. Le Bourgeois gentilhomme
B. Psyche
C. Amadis
D. Roland
Answer: A. Le Bourgeois gentilhomme
Q17. What nationality did Lully adopt after moving to France?
A. Italian
B. French
C. Spanish
D. English
Answer: B. French
Q18. Which of the following best describes the style of Lully’s operas?
A. Light and comedic
B. Intimate and lyrical
C. Grand and ceremonial
D. Experimental and atonal
Answer: C. Grand and ceremonial
Q19. What was a key feature of Lully’s tragédie lyrique?
A. Minimal use of chorus
B. Integration of dance and music
C. Absence of recitative
D. Use of folk melodies
Answer: B. Integration of dance and music
Q20. Which monarch granted Lully a monopoly over opera production in France?
A. Louis XIV
B. Louis XII
C. Louis XV
D. Henry IV
Answer: A. Louis XIV
Q21. In which city did Lully primarily work and develop his musical career?
A. Versailles
B. Paris
C. Lyon
D. Marseille
Answer: B. Paris
Q22. What type of overture, characterized by a slow-fast-slow structure, is associated with Lully?
A. Italian overture
B. German overture
C. French overture
D. English overture
Answer: C. French overture
Q23. Which of Lully’s operas features a famous “Sleep Scene” (Sommeil)?
A. Atys
B. Phaeton
C. Thesee
D. Persee
Answer: A. Atys
Q24. What was Lully’s relationship with King Louis XIV like?
A. Distant and formal
B. Close and favored
C. Hostile and competitive
D. Indifferent and professional
Answer: B. Close and favored
Q25. What was the name of Lully’s wife, whom he married in 1662?
A. Madeleine Lambert
B. Marie Antoinette
C. Catherine de’ Medici
D. Anne d’Autriche
Answer: A. Madeleine Lambert