'One hopes that this worthy volume will serve as a basis for further research in the area and that, together with the work of groups such as the New Chamber Opera Ensemble and Les Arts Florissants, it will make the delights of early French lyric theatre available to modern audiences as well.' -Julia Prest, Times Literary SupplementMusic and Theatre in France 1600-1680 defines the musical practices of French drama from the arrival of the first repertory companies in Paris until the establishment of the Comedie-Francaise. The dynamic interaction of the performing arts gave rise to a set of musical conventions that informed Moliere's theatre as well as early French opera.