Le triomphe de l'Amour manuscript vocal score, undated

Le Triomphe de l'Amour, a ballet de cour created by composer Jean-Baptiste Lully and librettists Isaac de Benserade and Philippe Quinault, was danced for the first time at Saint-Germain-en-Laye on January 21, 1681. Several setbacks, including the illness of the dauphin and the reluctance of court ladies to attend the ballet, postponed its premiere for nearly three months. Benserade, one of the creators of the ballet de cour, was drawn out of retirement to create verses in celebration of the dauphin's marriage to Marie-Anne-Christine-Victoire of Bavaria. The first public performance at the Palais Royale in Paris took place May 6, 1681. 

The most radical element of the first performance of Le Triomphe de l'Amour was the appearance of professional female dancers in the public performances at the Palais Royale. Traditionally, all danced roles in the public performances of ballets had been taken by men, although court ladies had occasionally danced roles for the court performances. The female performers were very well received, especially the dancer La Fontaine. The same dancers appeared in a November performance of Lully's Proserpine.

Benserade's creation of Le Triomphe de l'Amour followed his usual pattern: he provided an overall scheme and all of the principal verses to the choruses and solos (short ariettas interposed throughout) while another librettist, in this case Quinault, created the linking recitatives. While it praises the king, the ballet also alludes to many sublayers of the court, as the interactions of specific shepherds refer to specific courtesans. The dauphin himself appeared as a Pleasure in the third entry, but his lines are trivial in comparison with those given to other court figures. The décor was designed by veteran machinist Carlo Vigarani.

Each of the twenty entrées that comprise Le Triomphe de l'Amour reveals aspects of love triumphant. The theater represents a magnificently ornate place where a crowd receives l'Amour, who comes in triumph. Venus presides over the crowd and sings of the virtues of the king who has restored peace to his kingdom. Venus entreats everyone - mortals and gods alike - to pay homage to her victorious son. 

The Graces and Driades begin the progression in the First Entrée, followed shortly by the Naiads in the Second Entrée and the Pleasures in the Third Entrée. 

Mars and his warriors comprise the Fourth Entrée - having once opposed peace, they have now come to accept and acknowledge Love's triumph. 

This acceptance is manifest in the Fifth Entrée where "les Amours" (Cupids) enchain Mars in a garland of flowers. 

Neptune, who has long pursued the reluctant goddess Amphitrite, succeeds in winning her heart in the Sixth Entrée as the marine gods and Nereides proclaim his fortune. 

Entrées Seven and Eight  tell the story of Borée, the north wind, who beholds Orithie dancing with a troupe of Athenian girls He falls in love and kidnaps her.

Surrounded by nymphs, Diane sings of her contempt for love in the Ninth Entrée, but is swayed when Endimion enters and softens her heart in the Tenth Entrée. 

Night enters in the Eleventh Entrée and invites all nature into its stillness. Diane asks Night for help and the god summons Dreams to assist her.

In Entrée Twelve, the people of Carie, missing Night, cry out with the sounds of their instruments. 

Returning from the Indies, Bacchus falls in love with Ariadne in the Thirteenth Entrée.

The Fourteenth Entrée highlights the celebration of their entourages. The action begins to slow as Mercure, acknowledging that the unfavorable gods have been abolished, sings in adulation to Amour and calls for all to do the same. 

Others follow Mercure's recommendation in the next three entries.  Entrée Fifteen features Apollon, followed by his shepherds in Entrée Sixteen.  Then Pan proceeds to sing to Love in Entrée Seventeen, and his Fauns appear in the Eighteenth Entrée.

In the Nineteenth Entrée, Zephire, the west wind, leads Flora and her nymphs, who scatter flowers in Love's path. The ballet ends with Love, borne by the gods and heroes he conquered, being received at the throne of Jupiter who recognizes Love as the most powerful of all gods. 

All join in the final dance of Entrée Twenty in praise of love triumphant.  

The binding is leather with gold lettering and decoration.  The covering is imprinted with the text, "MADAME ROVILLÉ."