After he had written _Iphigenie en Aulide_, performed in 1774, especially for the Opera, he had the idea of adapting _Orfeo_ for the French stage.

To tell the truth he must have thought of it before, for _Orphee_ appeared at the Opera only three months after _Iphigenie_ and it had been entirely rewritten in collaboration with Moline.

The contralto part had been changed to tenor and so the principal role was given to Legros.
While it may be true that the author improved this work in the French version, it is not true in every case.

There is some question whether the overture existed in the Italian score.

It is generally believed that it did, but there are old copies of this version in existence and they begin the opera with the funeral chorus and show no overture at all.
This overture, although the _Mercure de France_ treats it as a "beautiful symphonic piece which serves as a good introduction to the work," in reality does not resemble the style of the rest at all.