"Tragédie en musique" had been invented as a genre by Lully and his librettist Quinault in the 1670s and 1680s. Their works had held the stage ever since and come to be regarded as a French national institution. When "Hippolyte et Aricie" made its debut, many in the audience were delighted, praising Rameau as "the Orpheus of our century". André Campra was struck by the richness of invention: "There is enough music in this opera to make ten of them; this man will eclipse us all".