L’épreuve villageoise started out as Théodore et Paulin before Grétry convinced Desforges to rewrite the libretto. The original three-act opera was reduced to two acts, and the improbabilities of the original plot were reworked. Théodore et Paulin received one performance at Versailles on 5 March 1784, but it was never published. L’épreuve villageoise appeared at the Comédie-Italienne on 24 June 1784. This revision remained one of the most popular of Grétry’s opéra-comiques, receiving performances throughout the nineteenth century.

The story of Atys was first known operatically through Lully’s opera that premiered in 1676 at the court of St Germain-en-Laye. Marmontel adapted Quinault’s libretto and modified it by removing the prologue and divertissements. He also altered the plot; in lieu of Ovid’s metamorphic ending (to which Quinault had adhered), Atys commits suicide.

The contrast between Piccinni and Gluck can perhaps best be illustrated with Iphigénie en Tauride, as Piccinni’s opera appeared just two years after Gluck’s work on the same subject. In fact, supporters of Piccinni (“Piccinnistes”) hoped that the Italian composer would demonstrate the superiority of his style with Iphigénie, and scholars have used these settings to illustrate the difference between the two composers.

Panurge, like Colinette à la cour, features recitative, rather than spoken dialogue. In his memoirs, Grétry recognized Panurge for being the first comic opera to enjoy a successful run at the Opéra, and he saw it as a turning point for this theater, which traditionally presented serious plots (Grétry, Memoires; ou, Essais sur la musique, 377). The overture to Panurge was featured on concerts in the nineteenth century, and although the opera eventually disappeared from the repertoire, its long stint was noted as late as 1866, by which time it was no longer being performed (Crozet, Revue de la musique dramatique en France, 275-76).

Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia was based on the first play, Le barbier de Séville, ou La precaution inutile (1772), of Beaumarchais’s famous trilogy. The controversial commentary on aristocracy caused the play to be banned from the stage for three years. The ban was lifted in 1775 and the work premiered that same year; Beaumarchais finally saw the work performed in 1780 when he was employed by Catherine II in St. Petersburg. Although Rossini’s later opera (of 1816) is more familiar today, Paisiello’s rendition was extremely popular throughout Europe during its time. The work was first performed in St. Petersburg in September of 1782.

Lucile Grétry’s opera Le mariage d’Antonio premiered in Paris when she was a mere fourteen years old. As the second daughter of André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, she was afforded lessons at a young age in counterpoint and declamation. Her father supplied the orchestral parts for her comédie mêlée d’ariettes after Lucile had composed the vocal, bass, and harp parts. Although Le mariage d’Antonio was a modest success, Lucile’s second endeavor, a divertissement mêlée d’ariettes entitled Toinette et Louis (1787), did not receive the same positive attention. The young composer died from tuberculosis before she could establish herself further at the Comédie-Italienne.

As with many French operas, Rousseau’s Le devin du village was first staged for the court, appearing at Fountainebleau on 18 October 1752. The work was then performed at the Paris Opéra on 1 March 1753. The historical importance of this short intermè is closely tied to its role in the famous Querelle de bouffons, a debate about the merits of French serious opera in comparison to Italian comic opera (especially Pergolesi’s La serva padrona).

This map shows most of North America including present-day Canada, United States, and parts of Mexico. Various areas are outlined in color. Some cities, bodies of water, and geographic features are marked (with relief shown pictorially). There is a text annotation in the upper left corner of the map. Outside of the map, there are two columns of text that appear to have been pasted onto either side of the map.

Map shows known geography and major cities located in North America, South America, Southern Europe, and Western Africa. Inset: [Supplement to the north-west of America, after the discoveries of Captain Cook]. Includes text. Boundaries outlined in color. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:32,000,000].

Map shows the upper part of India below the Ganges between the coast of Concan and that of Orissa, with the Mogul Empire, and Bengal. Relief shown pictorially. Inset: "Bouches du Ganges." Scale [ca. 1:10,000,000].

Map shows North America, South America, and part of Oceania in the western hemisphere and Europe, Asia, Africa, and the remainder of Oceania in the eastern hemisphere. Map is from the author's Atlas de Toutes les Parties Connues du Globe Terrestre [Atlas of All Known Parts of the Globe]. Scale [ca. 1:100,000,000].

Map shows the northern hemisphere of Earth, which include Europe, Africa, North America, Central America, Asia, and Oceania. Geography and major cities are indicated throughout. Includes: "Table des climats and Climats de mois" [Table of climates and climates of months]. Inset: "Sphère parallele." Map appeared n Rigobert Bonne's and Nicolas Desmarest's Atlas Encyclopédique, vol. 1 [1787]. Scale not indicated.

Map shows major cities along the coasts of North America, Central America, and the Antilles. Native American habitation in some areas of North America are also noted. Hand colored. Scale [ca. 1:37,500,000]. Map comes from Atlas de toutes les parties connues du globe terrestre [Atlas of all known parts of the globe] published in 1780.

Map shows areas of Creek and Cherokee tribal locations, military outposts, cities and towns in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:4,250,000].

Map shows the late eighteenth century geography, cities, and towns in New Spain [Mexico]. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:10,500,000]. Map comes from "Atlas de toutes les parties connues du globe terrestre" [Atlas of all known parts of the globe] by Guillaume Thomas Francois Raynal.

Map shows major French, English and Spanish settlements on the North American continent, Central America, and the islands of the Caribean. Scale [ca. 1:34,500,000]. Map comes from Atlas de toutes les parties connues du globe terrestre [Atlas of all known parts of the globe] by Guillaume Raynal.

Map shows settlements, boundaries of American colonies and portions of Lower Canada to the Gulf of the St. Lawrence River. Relief shown by hachures. Depths shown by soundings. Scale [ca. 1:1,700,000].

Map shows West Indies, coasts of Southern States, Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America. Relief shown by hachures. Scale [ca. 1:2,500,000].

Map shows inland settlements of coastal lands of the North, Central, and South Americas along the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf and Pacific coasts of New Spain; islands and ship channels of the Caribbean and Atlantic areas including the West Indies and Bermuda. Includes text and color key to European possessions; key to rivers in the Gulf of Panama. Relief shown pictorially. Depths shown by soundings. Scale not given.

Map shows the eastern and western hemipheres of the globe with six continents and major cities; Australia as "Nouvelle Hollande" with a vague southern coast hoined with [modern-day] Tasmania; hand-drawn sailing route [presumably that of Captain James Cook] is also shown. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:80 000 000].

Map shows basic geographical features and major settlements in late eighteenth century North America. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:10,000,000].

Map shows major cities, physical features, some political divisions, for 6 continents, including "Nouvelle Hollande" [Australia]; upper portion of North America bears a note inferring it is unknown whether it is sea or land. Includes notes and text. Relief shown pictorially. Scale not given.

Map shows extent of North America west and south to the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico, east to the Atlantic coast, and north to the Great Lakes; French Louisiana extends to the Red River [or by coloration to the Rio Grande] in the southwest and to the western boundaries of the American colonies [United States]; major roads, cities and settlements, areas of Native American habitation. Relief shown pictorially. Scale not given.

Map shows settlements and routes of Captains Cook and Clarke along coastlines of northeastern Asia and northwestern North America; route of Spanish galleons between Manilla and Acapulco. Relief shown pictorially. Scale not given.