Michel Corrette, a witness to lyrical events in 18th-century Paris

Michel Corrette (1707-1795), a prolific composer, was a witness to the tastes of the amateurs for whom he intended some of his works, such as his eight books of Amusements du Parnasse (1749-1772). Six of these have survived, and include transcriptions for harpsichord of arias from the most famous comic operas, often with variations. They show that performance life extended into the private sphere.