The Sun King's Symphony: Music in the Age of Absolutism

As the 17th century dawned, France stood poised for a cultural revolution that would establish it as the arbiter of European taste. The Baroque period in France (roughly 1600-1750) coincided with the rise of absolute monarchy, culminating in the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Music became a tool of statecraft, a symbol of power, and a means of glorifying both God and king. This was followed by the Classical period (1750-1820), which brought Enlightenment ideals of clarity, balance, and reason to musical expression.