The Centre de musique baroque de Versailles is continuing its international partnership with the Canadian ensemble Arion with two short operas by Michel-Richard de Lalande, marking the 300^th anniversary of the composer's death, in a historically informed approach.

A conductor with a passion for the French Baroque and Classical repertoire, Mathieu Lussier puts together daring programmes each season with his ensemble Arion. For several years now, as part of this partnership, he has been devising original projects designed to highlight forgotten parts of the repertoire: after a programme based on table music, a portrait dedicated to Rigel, and the Canadian premiere of Grétry's comic opera L'Amant jaloux, this time he has set his sights on two rare works by Lalande.

Known primarily for his sacred music, Lalande nevertheless composed several operas and ballets for the court of Louis XIV. Mathieu Lussier has chosen to revive a one-act pastoral, L'Amour fléchi par la constance, premiered in 1697 on the occasion of the marriage of the Duke of Burgundy, preceding it with the prologue to the Ballet de la Jeunesse, danced by courtiers in 1688. Still unreleased on disc, these two works demonstrate the composer's ease in the field of opera.