Daphnis et Eglé

The opera was planned as part of the court of King Louis XV's entertainments at Fontainebleau and was intended as an afterpiece to a play by Nivelle de la Chaussée, La fausse antipathie.

However, the dress rehearsal went so badly that the premiere was cancelled and the opera was never staged in Rameau's lifetime.

Paul F. Rice has commented that this collaboration was an unhappy one, and speculated that this was due to Rameau's demands that Collé edit his libretto.

[2] The opera was the first which Rameau composed after the outbreak of the Querelle des Bouffons and some of the music shows Italian influence.

[2] The opera tells the story of a shepherd, Daphnis, and a shepherdess, Eglé, who believe they are merely friends until Cupid reveals they are really in love with each other.