A rich and complex character, a prolific and original musician, hailed as one of the greatest composers of his time, André Campra (1660–1744) invigorated French music with his southern roots and his own special genius, renewed the operatic genre, and left a remarkable body of religious works. However, Campra is far from having the importance he should have in our heritage. In parallel with the insufficiently-wide distribution of his work in concert halls, opera houses and recordings, much more research is still needed; his work remains to be catalogued and publication of critical editions is only just beginning. Long considered a transitional artist between Lully and Rameau, Campra must be recognised for his originality and his major contribution to the history of French music in the first half of the eighteenth century.

Combining the skills of musicologists, historians of literature and the performing arts of several nationalities, this multidisciplinary study tackles new avenues of research and reveals certain aspects of Campra’s career and work that are still in the shadows or insufficiently explored.

Edited by Catherine Cessac, the book brings together articles by Geoffrey Burgess, Françoise Dartois-Lapeyre, Marie Demeilliez, Astrid Deschamps-Dercheu, Jean Duron, Don Fader, Thierry Favier, Jean-Philippe Goujon, Jean-Philippe Grosperrin, Rebecca Harris-Warrick, Bénédicte Hertz, John Hajdu Heyer, Jérôme de La Gorce, Judith le Blanc, Raphaëlle Legrand, Jean-Paul C. Montagnier, Laura Naudeix, Benjamin Pintiaux, Bertrand Porot, Lois Rosow, Graham Sadler, Lionel Sawkins, Herbert Schneider, Camille Tanguy, Damien Vaisse and Thomas Vernet.