From 1673 to 1686, the musical part composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier for Molière’s Le Malade imaginaire went through several – at least three – versions, which Charpentier himself distinguished by the comments: "in all its splendour", "after the prohibitions" and "rearranged differently for the 3rd time", sometimes affecting the interludes independently. The critical edition, from which this volume is taken, explores these versions in detail.

This off-print includes the entire third state of the score, "rearranged differently for the 3rd time", the interpretation of which now requires only 4 singers, a choir in 4 parts and a small string orchestra (4 parts) and the essential apothecaries' mortars.