The musical world of Marie-Antionette : opera and ballet in 18th century Paris and Versailles / Barrington James.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

James, Barrington, 1939- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Opera--France--18th century.

Opera.

Ballets.

France.

Ballets--France--18th century--History and criticism.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

vii, 258 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, [2021]

Summary:

"For decades, 18th century Paris had been declining into a baroque backwater. Spectacles at the opera, once considered fit for a king, had become "hell for the ears," wrote playwright Carlos Goldoni. Then, in 1774, with the crowning of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, Paris became one of the world's most vibrant musical centers. Austrian composer Christophe-Willibald Gluck, protege of the queen, introduced a new kind of tragic opera--dramatic, human and closer to nature. The expressive pantomime known as ballet d'action, forerunner of the modern ballet, replaced stately court dancing. Along the boulevards, people whistled lighter tunes from the Italian opera, where the queen's favorite composer, Andre Modeste Gretry, ruled supreme. This book recounts Gluck's remaking of the grand operatic tragedy--long symbolic of absolute monarchy--and the vehement quarrels between those who embraced reform and those who preferred familiar baroque tunes or the sweeter melodies of Italy. The turmoil was an important element in the ferment that led to the French Revolution and the beheading of the queen"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

A Country Ripe for Change

Christoph Willibald Gluck and the Quest for Drama

"Simplicity, Truth, and Naturalness"

The Baroness and the Broken Old Songbird

Niccolò Piccinni

Iphigénie en Champagne

A Star Is Born: Madame Saint-Huberty

Mozart

Antonio Salieri

Tragédie Lyrique

The Entrepreneur

Ballet and the Art of Gesture

Marie-Madeleine Guimard

Concerts

Opéra Comique

Marguerite Montansier

André-Modeste Grétry

Jean-Nicolas Bouilly

The Opéra in the 1780s

Antonio Sacchini

Figaro and Tarare

The Show Goes On

Religion and Revolution

Tragic Epilogue.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-251) and index.

ISBN:

9781476684369

1476684367

OCLC:

1250435737

Publisher Number:

99988348052