In 1653, as the kingdom of France emerged from the troubles of the Fronde des Princes against the royal power, the powerful Mazarin returned to Paris accompanied by the young Louis XIV, then aged 15. To consolidate the latter’s power, he commissioned an extraordinary show, the Ballet royal de la Nuit, staged in the Petit-Bourbon room of the Louvre palace.

This five-part entertainment depicted the sunrise, performed by the sovereign himself, with the aim of establishing the authority of the young Louis as the Sun King.

Sébastien Daucé, a leading specialist in French Baroque music, spent four years researching and reconstructing the music of this extraordinary show, which was never performed again after its premiere in 1653. Here, with the Ensemble Correspondances, he presents a selection of music from this majestic concert.