The book deals with the reception of Italian arias at the end of the reign of Louis XIV through a detailed study of sources and practices. It is structured in two parts: the first is devoted to the analysis of collections of Italian airs, manuscripts and prints, produced and circulating in Paris at the turn of the century; the second focuses on the practice of airs in institutional Parisian theatres (Comédie Italienne, Comédie Française and Académie royale de musique) between the death of Lully (1687) and that of Louis XIV (1715). A catalogue of the corpus studied completes the work. It lists twenty-five manuscripts, thirty editions and the 682 arias they contain.

In the sources, most of these airs do not include the names of the composers. Thus, their identification has been a central issue for the study of the circulation of the repertoire, revealing that they are mainly excerpts from Italian operas created in Venice, Rome and Naples. The analysis of the works performed at the two Comédies and at the Opéra at the end of the reign of Louis XIV illustrates the ways in which Italian arias were appropriated by French poets, composers and especially performers, thus closing the circle of the Italian opera aria’s journey from its source stage to that of its reception. The continuity in the practice of Italian airs on the Parisian stage in these decades testifies to the growing interest of the public in this repertoire, anticipating the Goûts réunis and the Regency’s preference for Italian music.