About the work
Tragédie en musique with an allegorical prologue and five acts by Jean-Baptiste Lully after a libretto by Philippe Quinault, first performed on 8 January 1685 before the court of Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles; from 8 March 1685 it was given publicly at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris. Together with Amadis and Armide, Roland forms a group of works in which Lully and Quinault turned away from mythological subjects toward chivalric romance.
Plot
The plot follows an episode from Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem 'Orlando furioso': the knight Roland loves princess Angélique, who secretly loves the African soldier Médor instead. When Roland discovers proof of their love, he descends into madness.
Cultural significance
The opera's musical centrepiece is a roughly fifteen-minute chaconne that combines tender love scenes with a monumental ballet. It was performed eight times at court before moving to Paris and is considered a mature late work in Lully and Quinault's collaboration.