Thésée

Thésée was the second work done by Jean-Baptiste Lully and Philippe Quinault for the Palais-Royal, but it had its premiere at Saint-Germain en Laye on 11 January 1675 and was not mounted at the artistes’ own theatre until 12 May 1675. The success of Alceste probably induced Quinault to model the prologue of Thésée after the introductory portion of his previous work: the earlier prologue had been set in the Tuileries; the prefatory section of Thésée is laid in Versailles and its gardens, where…