The opera Le Cid was based on a play by Corneille about a Spanish hero and was first performed in 1885. There are contradictory reports about its success, with most indicating it met with little or none. However, as every French opera must have ballet, the ballet music from Le Cid has lived on, becoming standard orchestral repertoire. Each of the seven movements is named for a region of Spain.

The story was inspired by 17th-century dramatist and national treasure Pierre Corneille, a man whose...