The first two works in the series are L'Enlèvement d'Europe (The Abduction of Europe) and L'abandon d'Ariane (The Abandonment of Ariadne), and the running time for the complete trilogy is approximated at 28 minutes.

[5] Main roles:[6] Distant chorus (SATB) Setting: The palace of Thésée.

The love of Thésée's son Hippolyte for Aricie arouses the jealousy of Phèdre, his stepmother.

When he rejects her, Phèdre denounces him to his father, who arranges his death at the hands of a monster.

Subsequent performances took place at Iowa State University on 8 May 1961 and in New York City on 24 March 1971.