All those present at the Opera-Comique in Paris in January 1987 have a vivid memory of a the moment when an amazed France rediscovered a hitherto forgotten genre: the tragedie en musique. An unprecedented triumph on stage, followed by an international success on record, Atys was also the starting point for a new view of French Baroque music. To mark the fortieth anniversary of Les Arts Florissants, this copiously illustrated CD-book pays tribute to the pioneering work of William Christie and his team.