Antoine François Prévost d'Exiles
also Abbé Prévost
Birthplace: Hesdin, Kingdom of FranceSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026).
The Abbé Prévost was a French novelist and journalist whose fame rests on Manon LescautSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026).. Born at Hesdin in ArtoisSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026)., he went from the Jesuits to the army and then the BenedictinesSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026)., and fled the order in 1728 for England and HollandSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026).. His Mémoires et aventures d'un homme de qualité, begun before he fledWikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026)., closed with Manon Lescaut as its seventh volumeSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026)., and in London he started the periodical Le Pour et contreSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026).. He became almoner to the Prince de ContiWikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026). and translated RichardsonSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026).. Auber, Massenet and Puccini named operas after his heroine, and Henze drew Boulevard Solitude from itSmith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026)..
Source works
- Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut (1731)
Written from
- Smith, C. (1992) 'Prévost [Prévost d’Exiles], Abbé Antoine-François', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 3, p. 1092.
- Wikipedia (2026) Abbé Prévost. (Accessed: 19 October 2026).