About the work
Pigmalion is a one-act acte de ballet by Jean-Philippe Rameau to a libretto by Ballot de Sauvot, based on Antoine Houdar de la Motte's Le triomphe des arts (1700). Its premiere on 27 August 1748 at the Paris Opéra drew little attention at first, but after a 1751 revival and a 1754 court performance it became one of Rameau's most-performed works, with over 200 18th-century performances.
Plot
The sculptor Pigmalion has fallen in love with a statue of his own making and neglects his fiancée Céphise. Moved by his pleas, Cupid brings the statue to life; she learns to sing and dance, while Cupid finds Céphise a more suitable lover.
Cultural significance
Rameau reportedly composed the work in just eight days; since a 1913 score edition it has ranked among his most frequently staged one-act works and inspired several 18th-century parodies.