Philippe Quinault facts for kids
Philippe Quinault (born June 3, 1635 – died November 26, 1688) was a famous French writer from Paris. He was known for writing plays (a dramatist) and also for writing the words for operas (a librettist).
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Early Life and Career
Philippe Quinault was born in Paris. A kind writer named François Tristan l'Hermite helped him get an education. When Quinault was just 18 years old, his first play was shown at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in 1653. It was a success!
He continued writing plays. He also studied law. In 1660, he married a wealthy widow and bought a position in a court that handled finances, called the Cour des Comptes.
Becoming a Playwright
Quinault wrote many plays, including comedies and tragedies. Some of his best comedies were Les Rivales (1653), L'Amant indiscret (1654), and La Mère coquette (1665). His plays often showed the influence of a style called Préciosité, especially in how he wrote his female characters.
In 1670, he became a member of the Académie française. This was a big honor for writers in France. He also received money from the government to support his writing.
Working with Lully on Operas
In 1671, Quinault worked on a special play called Psyché. He worked with famous writers like Pierre Corneille and Molière, and the music was by Jean-Baptiste Lully. This project showed that Quinault was very good at writing for musical dramas.
From then on, Quinault mostly wrote libretti (the words) for Lully's operas. This was a very good job for him, and he earned a lot of money. He became known for his new style of writing for opera. Even Boileau, another famous writer who used to make fun of Quinault's plays, praised his opera work.
Quinault's libretti were so well-written that people could enjoy reading them even without the music. They were also perfectly made to fit Lully's music. His words helped make opera a popular art form across Europe.
Famous Operas with Lully
Quinault and Lully created many famous operas together. Here are some of them:
- Les Fêtes de l'Amour et de Bacchus (1672)
- Cadmus et Hermione (1674)
- Alceste (1674)
- Thesée (1675)
- Atys (1676) – considered one of his best works.
- Isis (1677)
- Proserpine (1680)
- Persée (1682)
- Phaëton (1683)
Later, he started writing operas based on romantic stories instead of classical ones. These were also very successful. Amadis de Gaule (1684) and Roland (1685) are often seen as his greatest works. Armide (1686) is probably his most famous opera.
Later Life
Lully, his musical partner, died in 1687. After this, Quinault stopped writing operas. He became very religious and started writing a poem about the "Destruction of Heresy." Philippe Quinault passed away on November 26, 1688, in Paris.
He also wrote a lyrical play called "Bellerephon," based on an ancient Greek myth.
See also
In Spanish: Philippe Quinault para niños
