Music and theatre in France, 1600-1680

"This study explores the musical practices of comedy, tragicomedy, tragedy, and the pastorale, from the arrival of the first travelling repertory companies in Paris around 1600 until the establishment of the Comedie-Francaise in 1680. The dynamic interaction of spoken drama with music, mime, and dance - cross-fertilized by court ballet and imported Italian opera - gave birth to a set of musical conventions that informed the piece en machines, the pastorale en musique, and early French opera.

The final chapters deal with music in Moliere's theatre: the performance history and revivals of four comedies-ballets (with music by Lully and Charpentier) leads to an examination of the musical and balletic practices of Moliere's company and the interconnections between Moliere's last comedie-ballets, Le Malade imaginaire, and Lully's first opera, Les Festes de l'Amour et de Bacchus."--Jacket.