and William Christie (this time at Glyndebourne in 2013). The work Libretto At the age of 69, Pellegrin had a long career as an opera librettist behind him, so it was unsurprising Rameau should have approached him for his debut, especially given his authorship of Jephté. Distant models for Hippoyte et Aricie were Hippolytus by Euripides and Phaedra by Seneca the Younger, but the most important source was Jean Racine's famous tragedy Phèdre (1677). Such a classic of the Grand Siècle would have been well known to the audience so adapting it might be seen as a deliberate provocation to the conservatives. There are several differences between Hippolyte et Aricie and Phèdre. Some of these are due to differences in genre between French Classical drama and tragédie en musique. Racine observes the Aristotelian unities of time and space: the action of his play is confined to a single location and takes place within 24 hours. On the other hand, each act in Pellegrin's libretto has a different setting. Pellegrin also provides a happy ending, at least for the lovers Hippolyte and Aricie, whereas Racine is wholly tragic; Hippolyte does not rise from the dead. Pellegrin's drama has a major change in focus: Racine's play centres on Phèdre; she is still important in Pellegrin's version, but he pays much more attention to Thésée. For instance, the entirety of the second act is devoted to Thésée's visit to the Underworld. Graham Sadler writes: He goes on to describe Theseus as "one of the most moving and monumental characterizations in Baroque opera." Music The overture begins conventionally enough, in traditionally noble Lullian style, but the technical complexity of the ensuing fugal movement must have disturbed conservative critics worried that Rameau's music would be overly (learned). Since the death of Louis XIV the allegorical prologue no longer had any social or political function. Instead, Pellegrin uses it to foreshadow the action of the main opera by showing Destiny ordering Diana and Cupid to unite their efforts to ensure a happy outcome for Hippolyte and Aricie's love. The music of the prologue creates a "light and airy" atmosphere. The two gavottes in the soon became immensely popular. The first act introduces the lovers Hippolyte and Aricie, as well as the jealous Phèdre. It begins with Aricie's aria "Temple sacré, séjour tranquille", with its solemn and "religious cast". There follows an extensive dialogue in recitative between