ABSTRACT
In Saint-Cyr's early secular days, the prospect of performing Esther before members of the court seemed entirely natural, given the close connection between the institution's founder and the King, and the courtiers' strong interest in the Maison. Esther was known outside of Saint-Cyr as well, both through the publication of its text and music and through performances by courtiers at Versailles as part of their amateur dramatics. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the community at Saint-Cyr began commissioning and performing secular idylles with music to honor special occasions in the lives of members of the royal family; works identified in the official Memoires of the Maison. The first Idylle de Saint-Cyr, with music by Louis-Nicolas Clerambault and text by Pierre-Charles Roy, was performed in 1745 to celebrate the marriage of the Dauphin with Marie-Therese of Spain. The inclusion of theatrical performances within the curriculum at Saint-Cyr contributed to the Maison's unique nature.
