Programme
MUSIC
Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726)
André Cardinal Destouches (1672-1749)
LIBRETTO
Pierre-Charles Roy (1683-1764)
In 1721, with the young Louis XV about to become King, grand ballets were imagined for him to dance at court: an ageing Lalande and a young Destouches got together to compose a noble, serious ballet designed to glorify his royal majesty. Staged in the Louvre palace with the King participating, it was then successfully reworked for performances at the Académie Royale de Musique in 1725. It was to become one of the most famous works of the whole 18th century, popular in both Paris and Versailles. The descriptive, sensitive music, its heroic characters and novel subject guaranteed a triumphant success.
