Biography of Philippe Quinault

Philippe Quinault, 1635-1688

In the mid 1670s, Lully came under pressure to disassociate himself from Quinault. The character of Juno in their opera Isis (see the information on the UNT volume of Isis for more information) was seen by some as an unflattering portrait of the King's jealous mistress, Mme. de Montespan. This created a wedge between the composer and his patron which gave his other enemies the opportunity to attack him. However, Louis stood by Lully even over the protests of de Montespan.