Les Sauvages

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July 13, 2026

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"Les Sauvages" is the fourth and final act of Jean-Philippe Rameau's opéra-ballet Les Indes galantes, which premiered in 1735. This act is set in North America and features a love triangle involving a Frenchman, a Spaniard, and a Native American woman. The woman ultimately rejects the European suitors in favor of a Native American warrior.1

Rameau, a prominent composer of the French Baroque era, was also a renowned music theorist. While "Les Sauvages" was later incorporated into Les Indes galantes, Rameau had previously composed a piece titled Les Sauvages inspired by the display of Native Americans in a Parisian theater. The term "savage" historically referred to someone untamed or uncivilized, though this usage is now considered offensive.234

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Jean-Philippe Rameau
…best and most celebrated pieces, Les Sauvages, later used in his opéra ballet Les Indes galantes (first performed 1735). The following year, at the age of 42, he married a 19-year-old singer, who was to appear in several of his operas and who was to bear him four children.
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…best and most celebrated pieces, Les Sauvages, later used in his opéra ballet Les Indes galantes (first performed 1735). The following year, at the age of 42, he married a 19-year-old singer, who was to appear in several of his operas and who was to bear him four children.
Read More