The Prologue Overture is associated with which work and composer?

• A. Le rossignol en amour
• B. Dido and Aeneas
• C. Lagrime Mie
• D. Atys Prologue Overture

Answer: (D)

In Baroque opera, the Prologue Overture signals the grand opening of a French tragédie lyrique and follows the distinctive French overture style: a slow, stately first section with dotted rhythms, then a faster, lively second section that leads into the drama.

This particular Prologue Overture belongs to Atys, a tragédie lyrique by Jean-Baptiste Lully with a libretto by Philippe Quinault, first staged in 1676. The association fits because Lully's French operatic tradition often names the opening overture as a Prologue Overture for this work, making it the best match among the options. The other titles relate to different composers or genres and do not share this specific connection to Lully’s Atys.