Now that's a ground bass

An appreciation of a little-known Rameau opera is found at an unexpected source: science fiction editors Teresa and Patrick Nielsen Hayden's Making Light. Teresa found all sorts of interesting tidbits about Les Indes Galantes, "a Baroque opéra-ballet by Jean-Philippe Rameau. It has Turks, Incas, Conquistadores, beautiful Indian maidens, long-separated lovers recognizing each other under improbable circumstances, a superfluity of mythological personifications hanging from the flyloft on ropes, and an exploding volcano." She also links to many video performances of portions of the opera.