The books contain the instrumental music, chiefly overtures, dances, and interludes (though not on the whole the ritournelles preceding vocal items) from twenty-nine works ranging from the "Ballet de l'amour malade", 1657, to the opera 'Isis' of 1677.

MS.9459 also has the treble and bass parts for three pieces from 'Bélrophon', 1679, in a different hand.

The material is arranged in chronological order with the date of composition given for each suite, and consists of almost the entirety of Jean Baptiste Lully's output for the period.