La Femme adultère is the only known oratorio by Nicolas Clérambault, organist and composer, famous for his organ pieces and cantatas. His Histoire de la Femme adultère follows the conventions of the 17th-century Roman oratorio, based notably on those of Carissimi.
Clérambault successfully fused French and Italian tastes, blending the declamatory style of the French tradition with ultramontane structural elements such as regular phrasing, repetition, the modern use of tonality, the da capo aria and strict choral fugues.
The work is written for 2 violins, basso continuo, 5 solo voices (dessus, haute-contre, taille, basse-taille and basse), and a 4-part choir in French style (dessus, haute-contre, taille and basse).