Campra's poets, who were also opera librettists, often included operatic elements in the cantatas, which Campra then elaborated upon in his compositions.
Compositional Technique
Campra's cantatas feature infectious lyricism, with many airs using the Italian da capo form and recitatives following the Lullian model with changing meters and a moving bass line.
Historical Context
The French cantata genre developed after the death of Jean-Baptiste Lully, whose musical reign was as absolute as that of King Louis XIV, and coincided with a renewed interest in Italian music.
Composition History
The poet Jean-Baptiste Rousseau (1671-1741) is credited with defining the French cantata by modeling his texts on the Italian 'cantata' and basing them on clear allegories from ancient myths.
Composer Biography
André Campra, the composer, was already famous for his operas like L'Europe galante (1697) and Tancrède (1702) before publishing his first book of cantatas in 1708.
Composer's Artistic Vision
In the preface to his first book of cantatas, Campra stated his artistic intention to blend the 'delicacy of French music' with the 'vivacity of Italian music'.
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