Rameau (1683-1764) was born in Dijon and died in Paris. He had an astonishing career which started in the French provinces - in Avignon, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon and Lyon. He settled in Paris in 1723, the year Louis XV came of age. During his early career he composed motets, cantatas and most of his harpsichord pieces, and wrote his famous Traité de l’Harmonie. In the early 1730's Rameau was introduced to the wealthy fermier général La Poupelinière, who was to be his mentor for many years. The Académie Royale de Musique soon opened its doors to him. Hippolyte & Aricie in 1733 was a landmark in the history of French opera. Rameau's genius rapidly brought him fame and before 1764 he had produced a string of operas which encompassed tragédies lyriques (Castor & Pollux, Dardanus, Zoroastre and Les Boréades), opéras-ballets (Les Indes galantes and Les Fêtes d’Hébé) as well as the comédie-ballet Platée in 1745. Appointed court composer at Versailles in 1745, Rameau wrote occasional pieces such as Le Temple de la Gloire and Les Fêtes de l’Hymen & de l’Amour. His operas were still performed until the early 1780's, his talent honoured by the French as on a par with Lully.
