When were Baroque Gestures? The 'baroque' era across Europe can be considered, in very broad terms, to be from 1650 to 1750. The seed of Italian baroque opera was germinated in 1598 by Rinuccini with music by Peri - 'Dafne'. (Monteverdi's 'Orfeo' was first performed in 1607.) In France, Corneille wrote a comedy for the actor, Mondori in 1629 although his first tragedy didn't appear until 1633. A Ballet de Cour - 'Circé ou le Balet comique de la Royne' - was first performed in 1581, however, it was not until the 1640s that opera, Italian opera, was seen in the Palais Royal. (Lully's 'Alceste', his third opera, was first performed in 1674.) The English royal court, from 1605 - 1640, was enjoying productions by Inigo Jones and Ben Jonson, developed from the Renaissance Masque. In 1642 the theatres of England were closed by Act of Parliament. With the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 came the restoration of the theatre. Davenant had already been fidgeting to produce a 'Dramatic opera'. (England's first through-composed opera, 'Venus & Adonis' by Blow, was first performed in about 1682.) Rameau's last opera, 'Les Boréades', was completed in 1764. Even later, Mozart's 'La Clemenza di Tito' of 1791 was written in the old baroque style, but by this time the attitudes of the Enlightenment were changing the style of stage presentations.